Scotland boosting fruit sales to improve public health

It said today that it will provide around half of a £500,000 grant that will see around 200 stores promoting healthy food choices through meal deals, price promotions for fruit and vegetables and displaying fruit at checkouts instead of confectionery and snacks.

The project follows on from a successful six-month pilot study carried out last year. It found that increasing the range of fruit drinks and decreasing the range of carbonated drinks available in seven stores increased total soft drink sales by 14.6 per cent and raised cash profit 21 per cent.

A promotion featuring a healthy range of ready to eat meals resulted in a 260 per cent increase in sales, while moving fruit and vegetables from the rear of a store to the front resulted in a 36 per cent sales increase in the first week and has produced ongoing increases of 62 per cent.

Scottish health minister Andy Kerr said the scheme would especially target stores in low income areas.

"This initiative shows that healthy eating can be good for customers and good for business,"​ he said.

A series of reports in recent years has highlighted the poor health of Scots. Scottish women are said to have the highest rates of death from lung cancer in the world as well as the highest rates in Europe for coronary heart disease.

They also have low consumption of fruit and vegetables, shown in studies to help protect against some cancers and benefit heart health.

The new initiative is a partnership between Robert Wiseman Dairies, the Scottish Grocers' Federation, major operators in the convenience sector, such as Somerfield and Spar, and the Scottish Executive Health Department.

The retail groups are contributing around £290,000 to the scheme.

There are approximately 5,000 convenience stores currently operating in Scotland.