Huge changes to Woolworths’ checkouts

Woolworths will remove chocolate and lollies marketed for children from checkout aisles and replace them with healthier alternatives. 

The supermarket giant will only offer a small variety of confectionary at checkouts and provide a number of nutritious snacks instead. 

Woolworths nutritionist Stevie Wring said the only sweet treats being removed from stores across Australia were the ones specifically marketed for children. 

‘So whether it might have a cartoon character on it or like a smaller size for a child, so thinking things like lollipops, chocolate with toys in it, chocolate caramels or frogs,’ the nutritionist explained. 

Woolworths will aim for a health rating of at least three-and-a-half stars at 80 per cent of their checkouts with healthier options like nutbars and popcorn.

Woolworths will start removing confectionery marketed towards children from its checkout aisles nationally 

The supermarket said the move came after feedback from customers who asked for healthier snack options at checkout aisles. 

Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney praised Woolworths for ‘leading the way’. 

‘Even just the simple thing of having free fruit for the kids when you come into the store so they’ve got something in their hands, that’s healthy for the whole shopping time is really great,’ he told 9News. 

A Coles spokesperson said the supermarket chain was always trying to find new ways of making healthy snacks more accessible to shoppers. 

‘More recently, we have made an effort across our aisles to make healthier alternatives available next to their traditional counterparts in every grocery aisle,’ the spokesperson said.

‘We have moved many products that were previously only found in the health food aisle next to their traditional counterpart.’

An Aldi spokesperson said it only displayed a small amount of unhealthy snacks and drinks on end-of-aisle space due to limited space at checkouts.