Which? was once upon a time known as the Consumers Association, and it used to do a sterling job of explaining which washing machine to buy and how to avoid being ripped off at a bureau de change. But the charity now seems to have become less interested in fighting consumers’ corner and more interested in being Britain’s nanny-in-chief.
This morning it has rounded on supermarkets -- once again -- for promoting obesity. Its research has found that special offers and promotions in supermarkets tend to be used to push sugary drinks, chocolate and breakfast cereals rather than carrots and cucumbers.
Its researchers found that of the 77,165 promotions they looked at, 53 per cent involved less healthy foods – those high in fat, saturates, sugar or salt, compared with 47 per cent of healthier products. Comparing different food groups, Which? found that 52 per cent of confectionery was on offer compared with only about a third of fresh fruit and vegetables. Alex Neill, director of campaigns and policy at Which? said: 'Everybody has to play their part in the fight against obesity and people want supermarkets to offer more promotions on healthier foods.'
Does everyone have to play a part? I am not entirely convinced
that the primary job of the 'Big Four' supermarkets is to get us off our sofas and eating more quinoa. They have already played a huge role in making our store cupboards and fridges more interesting, varied places by offering us a staggering array of choice. In 1955, the year after food rationing ended, Sainsbury’s sold 700 products. It now sells well in excess of 30,000. There is plenty of healthy, low-sugar, high-fibre food on supermarket shelves and far more so than when I was a child.
For starters, the Which? research fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers. Promotions are invariably paid for not by the supermarket, but by the supplier. The reason why -- at Easter -- you can often buy 3-for-2 Cadbury Buttons Easter Eggs, is because Mondelez, the parent company of Cadbury, gains huge economies of scale by churning out millions of the treats. It is Mondelez who pays for these discounts, so too Nestlé who might push extra KitKats onto Tesco. Unilever may pay for a premium spot at the end of the aisle for its Hellmann’s mayonnaise special offer.
You can argue, legitimately, that it is grossly unfair on the small,
independent suppliers, which cannot afford to offer these juicy discounts. But the only way that carrots, cucumbers, strawberries or curly kale are going to end up being on special offer in supermarkets is if the farmers -- already under financial pressure -- put their hands in their pockets.
In any case, the Which? figures fail to acknowledge two of the great
trends of the last 18 months or so. First, supermarkets have cut back on vouchers, discounts and promotions. Customers just want everyday low prices, as the jargon goes. Secondly, vegetables are cheap. Bizarrely, the cucumber has become the weapon of choice wielded by Aldi to persuade customers to enter its doors not just to pick up the occasional packet of Bavarian ham, but to do a regular weekly shop. A cucumber at Aldi is 37p and an iceberg lettuce is just 39p. A kilo of carrots is 39p. Yes, a kilo for 39p.
These items are not on special offer. They have just had their prices
cut remorselessly and the other supermarkets have followed suit. There is staggering deflation in fresh produce currently in all supermarkets. It is something that should be cheered by all those that want to fight the battle against obesity.
Harry Wallop is a consumer journalist and the author of Consumed: How We Buy Class in Modern Britain