The UK’s largest food retailer unveils new initiative that rewards customers with Clubcard points for purchasing fresh produce, as it aims to address declining fruit and vegetable consumption nationwide
GB Tesco free fruit kids
The UK’s largest food retailer Tesco has revamped its 5-a-day campaign and launched a new project designed to drive sales of fruit and vegetables, as it attempts to remove barriers to healthy eating for its customers.
According Fruitnet, The new campaign gives shoppers the chance to earn personalised stamps on fresh fruit and veg through the group’s Clubcard loyalty scheme – tokens that can then be converted into bonus points and vouchers to spend in store.
Starting today, it will run across all Tesco stores and on a restyled website, using gamification, offers, and recipe inspiration to encourage roughly 2.5mn customers to make healthier dietary choices.
Customers will also be able to earn extra points through a series of new Clubcard Challenges on frozen fruit and veg, beans, and pulses.
In addition, from 4-17 August, children shopping with families in Tesco stores can pick up free fruit at the checkout – an extension of Tesco’s Stronger Starts Fruit & Veg for Schools programme.
Tesco said it expected to give away over 3.5mn apples in just two weeks.
Read also: Hungarian growers push for more local produce
Urgent need
Tesco’s decision to step up its campaign to help families eat more fruit and vegetables comes as government figures show fewer than one in ten children, and one in five adults, currently eat the recommended five portions of fresh produce a day.
Earlier this year, Swedish retailer Ica took similar steps with the launch of Join the Fruit Reboot, after new research depicted a similarly depressing picture in its own country.
The British retailer’s move apparently follows a year-long consultation carried out in communities across the UK, and marks the start of a long-term mission to make healthy eating easier for every household.
Over the last 12 months, Tesco said it had conducted regional health consultations in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation to understand the hurdles local communities face when it comes to healthy eating.
It said it found inspiration, accessibility and confidence in cooking were among the biggest barriers, especially for families and young people.
Ashwin Prasad, UK CEO at Tesco, said the new five-a-day campaign aimed to tackle those barriers head on.
“We understand that for many, there are barriers that make healthy eating feel hard. We want to help our customers make small changes that amount to big health benefits for themselves and their families,” he commented.
“That’s why we’re setting out to make healthy choices easier every day, starting with new offers and support for families in store this summer. We’re bringing customers new ways to earn Clubcard points and vouchers as a fun and engaging way to help them towards their five-a-day, on top of new and existing great value offers on healthy staples.”
