The UK Attitudes Towards HFSS Food and Drink report identifies consumer attitudes towards the impact of HFSS legislation, healthy eating initiatives, store location options for healthy products, and nutritional labelling in the UK. This market report covers the HFSS market size, market forecast, market segmentation and industry trends for the Attitudes Towards HFSS Food and Drink market in the UK.
While many consumers support the ban on volume promotions for unhealthy food, seeing it as a good way to tackle obesity and reducing food waste, the current cost of living crisis means supermarkets will have to be careful about navigating the shift away from such promotions.
The upcoming restrictions will see volume sales in key HFSS categories hit by the loss of impulse sales. Crisps, savoury snacks and chocolate are the products most commonly purchased from end of aisles, signalling that they will be particularly at risk and will require an increase of product visibility in primary aisles.
While straight price cuts will still be allowed under the new HFSS restrictions, volumes look set to be hit. The impact on value sales and margins remains to be seen, depending on the brands and retailers’ response, including whether and which price cuts they undertake instead.
With consumers wanting to see more healthy foods on price promotion on the end of aisles, this is in line with consumers generally favouring most strongly initiatives that reward them for making healthier choices. Supermarkets able to pivot promotional activity towards better-for-you choices will win favour.
Read on to discover more details or take a look at all of our UK Food and Foodservice market research
Products: Soft drinks, chocolate, sugar confectionary, cakes, ice cream, ice lollies, frozen yogurt, morning goods (pastries), desserts and puddings, sweet biscuits, breakfast cereals, yogurt, milk drinks, pizza, crisps, savoury snacks, ready meals, meal centres, chips (and similar potato products).
Brands: Fruit-ella, Ricola, Jealous Sweets, Soreen, USN, Ambrosia, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, Light and Free, Müller, Activia, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Proper Corn, Calbee, Hartley’s, Dr. Oetker, Slimming World, Vita, M&S, Dr. Aloe, Heinz, Cadbury, Walkers, McVitie’s, Pringles, Lindt Lindor, Maltesers, Jacob’s, Galaxy, Cathedral City, Warburtons, Magnum, Weetabix.
This report, written by Richard Caines, a leading analyst in the Food & Drink sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
Restrictions on the promotion of HFSS food and drink are due to kick in from October 2022 and will hit the visibility of products under the categories covered. Categories where a very high proportion of products are HFSS, such as chocolate, crisps and cakes, will be hardest hit, especially because of the big impulse element to their purchasing, and shoppers being very promotion-driven. Securing products and promotions extra visibility in primary aisles will be important for brands, as will use of permitted secondary locations such as seasonal and promotional aisles.
Richard Caines
Senior Food & Drink Analyst
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