Industry news
Discover how the Government’s legislation on High in Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) products affects your store's promotions, display locations, and advertising. Learn about the restrictions and how to navigate them to stay compliant.
HFSS refers to food and drink products that are High in Fat, Sugar, and Salt. These products are subject to Government legislation that restricts how they can be promoted and advertised. As a convenience store owner, it's important to understand how these regulations may affect your business.
For stores with more than 50 employees, volume-based promotions like multi-buys or extra-free offers are now banned in England. This means you can no longer offer deals such as "buy one, get one free" on HFSS products. Additionally, free refills for HFSS drinks are prohibited.
However, you can still promote HFSS products through single price reductions and include them in meal deals.
Keep in mind that the calculation of employee numbers may be influenced by membership of symbol groups.
The placement of HFSS products in your store is also restricted. You can no longer position these items in high-traffic areas such as gondola end-of-aisle displays, store entrances, and checkouts.
These restrictions apply to stores with more than 50 employees and an internal floor area of over 2,000 square feet.
It's crucial to rearrange your store layout to comply with these regulations and avoid penalties.
Advertising HFSS products is now more challenging. These items cannot be advertised on television between 5:30am and 9:00pm. Online restrictions are even stricter, with a total ban on advertising HFSS products expected to be enforced in 2025. This means you'll need to find alternative ways to promote these products to your customers.
Understanding and adapting to these HFSS regulations is essential for running a compliant and successful convenience store. By staying informed and making the necessary adjustments, you can continue to provide great products to your customers while adhering to the law.
For more information you can also check out the ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) website: https://www.acs.org.uk/advice/hfss-regulations
