Nationwide Affiliation for Public Well being Warns Towards Unhealthy Worth Wars in Grocery Chains

(A web-based newspaper): The grocery chains, and particularly low value chains comparable to Kiwi, Coop Additional and Rema 1000, have gotten an increasing number of characterised by campaigns and value wars. However not the proper, says the Nationwide Affiliation for Public Well being (NFF).

– That’s the very last thing we’d like; not good, says NFF topic supervisor Tone Torgersen.

Pizza bonanza

In simply over six months, there have been three value wars on Grandiosa pizza.

– A value warfare on unhealthy choices, comparable to frozen pizza, is the very last thing we’d like in a scenario the place many people are struggling to be chubby, says Torgersen.

Earlier than Christmas, the value was decreased from 59.90 to 35.90 on the low value chains Kiwi, Additional and Rema 1000.

In January, the value warfare began once more and the value of the unique Grandiosa dropped to 29.90.

In April there have been campaigns once more, and the value was pushed all the best way all the way down to NOK 20 and 86 øre.

– Seven out of ten Norwegians are chubby and overweight, which places them susceptible to severe sickness. As customers, we’d like assist to make the wholesome selections, says Torgersen within the Nationwide Affiliation.

– We do not want the value wars that make unhealthy issues cheaper and simpler to decide on, she says.

Large enhance in gross sales

There may be little doubt that the value is definite for what we select to purchase within the retailer.

When the value was lowered on Grandiosa in mid-January, gross sales elevated considerably. In 5 weeks, Orkla offered 3.3 million Grandiosa pizzas.

That was 1.2 million greater than the identical interval the earlier 12 months. This implies a gross sales enhance of a whopping 36 %.

– Worth is without doubt one of the issues that affect our selections probably the most, so when unhealthy meals like frozen pizza turns into very low-cost, we eat extra of it, says Torgersen.

– It additionally signifies that the unhealthy meals eliminates the wholesome, so the quantity right here is unhealthy for our well being, she says.

In that means, the unhealthy value wars have a double unfavorable impact, she believes.

Unhealthy merchandise dominate

Torgersen believes that value wars and retailer promotions are far too typically characterised by unhealthy merchandise. Round Christmas and Easter, for instance, there can be a concentrate on chocolate and sweets.

At Easter, for instance, the nice value was pushed all the way down to NOK 59 per kilogram.

– The value wars on snacks are those which have probably the most direct impression on kids, so the grocery chains ought to keep away from them, says Torgersen.

Now in the summertime, barbecue meals is unquestionably on the prime of the promoting campaigns. The primary emphasis is on meat. However there are additionally examples of value wars on fish and greens, however there are too few of them, the NFF believes.

In August final 12 months, the low-priced chains briefly reduce fish costs by round 20 %. In January, the chains additionally are inclined to have value will increase on inexperienced and more healthy meals.

– The value wars we would like extra of those on wholesome choices, says Torgersen.

– We see that when grocery chains select to compete on value cuts for fish or greens moderately than pizza and sweets, we must be getting extra of a 30-40 % enhance in promoting items, she says.

– He would not get consideration within the media

The grocery chain’s commerce group has a barely totally different tackle the matter.

– It’s not right to recommend that there’s not a lot value warfare on wholesome merchandise, says Bendik Solum Whist.

He’s department supervisor for grocers in Virke, the place a lot of the retail chains are members. He says that value wars are extra wholesome than many individuals suppose.

– Nonetheless, it would not get as a lot consideration within the media when chains have a value warfare on raspberries, blueberries or recent salmon – and that is an actual disgrace, he says.

– However the value warfare can be taking place right here, and it pushes costs down for customers, which I believe most individuals recognize, says Whist.

He additionally says that the chains frequently supply reductions on wholesome merchandise comparable to fruit, greens, fish and natural merchandise. Amongst different issues, each Additional, Kiwi and Rema 1000 have reductions primarily based on fruit and greens between 10 and 15 %.

– The competitors between Norwegian grocery chains is robust, and the chains compete every single day with presents inside a number of product classes, together with wholesome meals comparable to fruit, berries, greens and fish, says director enterprise Bendik Solum Whist.