The Western Swiss Consumer Federation (FRC) examined 331 checkouts in 30 stores in Western Switzerland, including 20 in Geneva, analyzing a total of 2,272 products at the checkouts. ' According to the survey, almost all checkouts presented sugary foods, with 98% in Geneva and 100% elsewhere. The FRC judges that the checkout offer is 'mostly unhealthy' and points to an overabundance of ultra-processed products at these strategic points.
The FRC investigation revealed that checkout snacks are almost always sweets. The FRC deplores marketing designed to attract the youngest customers, with four out of five checkouts stocked with products intended for children. Out of 2,272 items analyzed, 22% were explicitly aimed at children.
The FRC says products in the 'nagging zone' are often aimed at children, with 22% of goods targeted at them. The FRC explains that the term 'nagging zone' comes from children being enticed to persuade their parents to buy these products, and checkout snacks are also called 'nagging goods' because they encourage impulse purchases from waiting customers. Supermarket checkouts are conducive to impulse purchases because they present directly consumable food in small portions for just a few francs.
The FRC is bothered by sweet snacks at supermarket checkouts. 1% of its surface area, according to a German study cited in the survey. However, the FRC deplores higher prices at checkouts than in store aisles.
Staggering.
Some chocolate bars cost more than double per unit at checkouts compared to those offered in bulk in the store, and small portions at checkouts cost more than their counterparts in the aisles, sometimes more than double. Obesity and overweight in society, along with higher prices, motivated the FRC to call for a national regulation. The FRC is calling for federal regulation to put all retailers in the country on an equal footing.
The specific federal regulations the FRC is proposing to implement have not been detailed. In Geneva, the Grand Council voted in 2023 on a text requesting the removal of sweets from checkouts, but the timeline or likelihood for this vote to result in actual removal of sweets from checkouts remains unclear. To combat overweight, the FRC suggests that healthier alternatives should be offered at checkouts instead of sweets.
' The FRC also suggests that practical seasonal articles could be sold at checkouts, which it says would not harm profitability. It is unknown whether studies on the effectiveness of replacing sweets with healthier options in reducing impulse purchases or obesity were cited in the survey. Migros, Coop, Denner, Aldi, and Lidl say they are open to the idea of selling more balanced products at checkouts and declare that they already offer healthier alternatives at these strategic points.
How the retailers plan to balance profitability with healthier checkout offerings has not been specified, and how the current healthier alternatives at checkouts compare in sales to sweets is unknown.