Grocery deal-seekers love their BOGOs. But do some shoppers with a sweet tooth love BOGOs a little too much?
Some British lawmakers think so. So there is now an official ban in place, on buy-one-get-one-free deals for grocery items the government deems to be unhealthy.
That’s even though the current government is already vowing to repeal the measure.
The ban took effect on October 1st, impacting all grocery stores doing business in England. The regulations state that grocers “must not offer volume price promotions” on unhealthy foods, including BOGOs, “3 for £10” or “save 25% when you buy 6”-type deals. Unhealthy foods are defined as those not meeting government nutrition standards, including sugary soft drinks, candy, potato chips, ice cream, cookies, cakes, sugary cereals and more.
“Evidence shows that food retail price promotions are widespread and effective at influencing food preferences and purchases (particularly for children),” the government explained in a guidance document. “Reducing and rebalancing promotions towards healthier food and drink is essential to help reduce children’s sugar and calorie intakes, and help tackle obesity.”
The idea has been around since at least 2018, when the government first sought public input into a proposal to restrict unhealthy food promotions, and it’s moved in fits and starts toward becoming law since then. A related law banning unhealthy products from being displayed in high-visibility places like checkout lanes, aisle endcaps and store entrances, took effect in the meantime.
But 2018 was four Prime Ministers ago. And the current one isn’t completely sold on the idea of banning BOGOs.
A new “10 Year Health Plan for England” issued by the current government over the summer noted that a “previous government legislated to introduce restrictions on the volume price promotions retailers can offer, including a ban on buy-one-get-one-free deals on unhealthy food.” While acknowledging that the legislation would still come into force in October as planned, the notice went on to say that “by introducing smarter regulation, focused on outcomes, we expect to be able to repeal legislation restricting volume price promotions and aisle placement.”
There was no indication when that repeal might occur. So until then, BOGOs are a no-go on junk food and sweet treats.
Greg Fell, president of the UK Association of Directors of Public Health, praised the measure. “Multi-buy promotions do not save people money – in fact, they encourage them to spend more,” he said in a statement. “They are designed to encourage impulsive purchases and to normalize buying more and more frequently.”
But that’s not how Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Libertarian think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, sees it. “The UK has a sugar tax, a food reformulation scheme, a ban on ‘junk food’ at the entrance, exit and check-out of supermarkets, traffic light labelling, mandatory calorie labelling, Jamie Oliver-approved school meals, and a ban on ‘junk food’ advertising on children’s television,” none of which he says have had an appreciable impact on the country’s obesity rate, he wrote in an article for the Critic. And now England has “a globally unprecedented ban on food price promotions,” which he doubts will have much of an impact either – except on the wallets on shoppers who will be forced to pay more, for dubious reasons.
So the next time you get a BOGO deal on ice cream or chips or Halloween candy, be thankful England is having this debate now. Once they determine once and for all whether charging more for unhealthy food makes their citizens healthier – that’s a debate we may not have to have here.
Image source: Coupons in the News
