Off-fixture displays containing alcoholic drinks have surged by 57% year on year this month as restrictions on high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products has created more space across stores.
The figure recorded by goods transportation company CHEP found that across the UK’s 7,000 supermarkets, there is now an estimated 70,000 off-fixture alcohol displays including wine, beer and spirits.
This follows on from restrictions which came into play on 1 October that saw HFSS products restricted from gondola ends, store entrances and checkouts in a bid to reduce obesity levels across the UK.
As a result of this, confectionary is increasingly moving to in-fixture displays, however has only seen a 42% reduction due to placing off-fixture displays in permitted locations and brands reformulating many of their products to comply with HFSS regulations.
Aside from alcoholic beverages, soft drinks displays have increased by 53% and household or cleaning products have seen a 25% rise since the beginning of this month.
“The nations supermarkets are swapping biscuits for beverages as retailers and manufacturers explore the possibilities presented by the HFSS rules,” CHEP UK&I store solutions category manager, Sean Field said.
“This is the most dramatic shift I have ever seen in four years of surveying store layouts in the UK’s most renowned supermarkets.”
He added: “With a big reduction overall in HFSS off-fixture displays, products that have sometimes rarely got a look in are now popping-up in alternative locations, different sales display formats and in significant numbers, like cleaning products and savouries.”
This comes following CHEP’s industry toolkit guide which was unveiled last month looking to support retailers through the pressures of costs and store layout changes.
Created through six months of conversations with industry leaders, the tools include using modular displays, going packaging-free, using digital displays and re-thinking products and locations.