Asda Trials Store Makeover to Nudge Shoppers Towards Healthier Choices

Asda has rolled out a pilot programme in 10 of its stores across the UK to explore how simple in-store changes can encourage customers to make healthier food choices. The initiative forms part of a long-standing collaboration with innovation charity Nesta, focusing on how retailers can support the nation to lead healthier lives without compromising on value or choice.

Running until the end of June, the trial includes a wide range of subtle interventions designed to “nudge” shoppers towards more nutritious products. These include prominent placement of healthier options, targeted signage, and Asda’s popular Rollback promotions applied to selected better-for-you items in snacking, frozen and fresh produce categories.

Kris Comerford, Asda’s Chief Commercial Officer for Food, commented: “As a responsible retailer, we know that we play an important role in providing accessible, healthy choices that still deliver great value for our customers. With Nesta’s support, this trial will help us understand how to incentivise customers to choose healthier options, and the positive impact these choices can have on the nation’s health.”

The pilot is also trialling new incentives to boost fruit and vegetable consumption, including free children’s snack boxes with the purchase of pre-packed fruit and the distribution of produce vouchers in select stores. Dried fruit and nuts are being promoted as alternative checkout snacks, replacing less healthy impulse buys.

The 10 stores participating in the trial are: Canterbury Superstore, Ramsgate Supermarket, Charlton Superstore, Woking Superstore, Tunbridge Wells Superstore, Gillingham Pier Superstore, Newton Leys Supermarket, Brighton Marina Superstore, Eastleigh Supercentre, and Southampton Superstore.

Hugo Harper, Director of Healthy Life at Nesta, added: “People want it to be easier to make healthier choices when buying food for themselves and their families. Supermarkets play a crucial role in the food we eat – not just in terms of what they stock but also how food is advertised and promoted.

"Our long-standing partnership with Asda is providing crucial insights into what works for shoppers. Making healthy food as accessible and affordable as possible can go hand in hand with a thriving business, and it’s through testing what works with customers that we can deliver this change at scale.”

Asda will be closely monitoring the results of the trial, including sales data and shopper behaviour, to evaluate the impact of the interventions. If successful, the supermarket may look to extend these measures to more stores nationwide as part of its wider health and sustainability strategy.

With poor diet being one of the leading causes of preventable ill health in the UK, this trial could represent an important step towards aligning commercial goals with positive public health outcomes.

Source: KamCity