Lidl bans candy from the checkout in U.K.

Discounter Lidl will be removing sweets from the checkout area at its U.K. branches.

The move comes following consultation with shoppers, and the concerns over childhood obesity in the U.K.

Last year, Lidl U.K. trialled healthy checkouts replacing sweets with fruit and juice. Results showed sales went up 20%.

Lidl plans on banning sweets at the tills at the end of the month in its 600 outlets.

Other U.K. grocers have limited sales of junk food at the checkout, but none have banned it like Lidl.

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Asda, Iceland and Morrisons all aim to ‘limit’ the sale of sugary treats near checkouts, but do not impose a blank ban like the one Lidl is proposing.

Waitrose does not have any policy in place on sweets at the checkout.

Last year, Lidl UK increased the number of ‘healthy tills’ in stores nationwide to 1,200.

The tills replaced ‘treat’ items such as chocolate with products of a higher nutritional value such as multivitamin juice and fresh fruit, as part of a healthy initiative to promote fresh fruit and vegetables to customers.