America’s 27th largest grocer, supermarket chain Raley’s have pledged to reduce the amount of candy displayed at checkouts by 25 percent. The chain’s 121 stores across California and Nevada will replace candy with healthier snacks including granola bars and nuts. The portion sizes of the candy remaining at the checkout will also be reduced. This change follows Raley’s 2016 elimination of sugar-sweetened soda drinks at its registers.
“Raley’s commitment is an encouraging step by the retailer to further improve food and beverage options at the checkout. Retailers know that placing food and beverages at checkout is a powerful marketing strategy that induces customers to buy products on impulse that they might otherwise have avoided,” said Julia McCarthy, senior nutrition policy associate at the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.
Raley’s stands with several other supermarket chains that have also taken steps to encourage healthy choices and healthier options at checkouts.
