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Pester power: snackfoods displayed at supermarket checkouts in Melbourne, Australia
Helen Dixon1, Maree Scully, Kristiina Parkinson
1Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton. Helen.Dixon@cancervic.org.au
Issue Addressed:
To establish the amount and accessibility of snack food displayed at supermarket checkouts located in Melbourne, Australia.
Methods:
Observational survey of 24 randomly selected supermarkets situated within a 20-kilometre radius of Melbourne's General Post Office. Individual checkouts within each store (n=257) were observed to determine the types of items that were displayed, how they were promoted, and whether they were within the reach of children.
Results:
All supermarkets surveyed displayed food products at their checkouts, with most checkouts displaying chocolate (87%), gum (81%) and sweets (80%). Only 7% of checkouts had their display of foods or drinks out of the reach of children.
Conclusions:
Foods displayed at supermarket checkouts in Melbourne are predominantly energy-dense confectionery items. They are often promoted in a way that targets children and encourages parents to impulse buy for their children.
