UK’s Biggest Grocery Store Bans Candy in the Checkout Aisle

I rarely remember a time where I didn’t pick up a candy bar or some kind of sweet after a grocery store trip. It’s so easy to just reach for those colorful wrappers, knowing they’ll deliver on the sweet promises of sugar. Looks like this will no longer be the case for many of our friends in the United Kingdom.

The UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, is issuing a ban on sweets and chocolates sold at the checkout aisle. A recent survey conducted among customers showed that 65% of shoppers wanted candy removed from checkouts to further temptation when buying groceries and 67% felt it would help them make healthier choices for their kids. Tesco had already taken out confectionary at the checkout in 720 of their larger stores 20 years ago. The retailer will now implement the ban for all of their 1,800 locations which include Tesco Metro and Express convenience stores in both Britain and Ireland.

According to The Guardian, the decision was based on wanting to remove the temptation of sugary snacks at the checkout and to help customers lead heather lives, said Tesco Chief Executive Philip Clarke. The removal was expected to finish by December of 2014 but after the customer survey, it looks like it’s moving ahead much sooner.

Though confectionery will be removed from checkouts, they’ll still be available for purchase in bulk within the store itself. Though unless it’s Halloween or Easter, no one can commit to that much candy. In theory, of course.