Asda has today published findings from its two-year partnership with independent research and innovation charity Nesta, revealing that the majority of its healthier choices trials delivered a positive sales uplift.
The report reflects on how the partnership helped shape Asda’s long-term health strategy, including the introduction of a health target to improve the average health score of its sales year-on-year – measured using the Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM).
As part of the partnership, Asda and Nesta also committed to running a series of proof-of-concept trials across up to 20 stores, testing how different in-store interventions could reduce barriers to healthier choices and incentivise customers to switch, while remaining commercially sustainable.
Six out of eight trials delivered an uplift in sales of healthier products, with five achieving double-digit growth. While the trials were conducted on a small scale, the results offer encouraging signs of how health-led initiatives can help drive sales of healthier products.
Darina Hall, senior director – technical, quality & sustainable sourcing at Asda, said: “We’re proud of the health strategy we’ve developed and the progress we’ve made as part of our work with Nesta. These trials have shown what can work at a small scale, and our focus now is on evaluating how initiatives like these can be scaled – so we can better incentivise healthier choices and maximise the positive impact they can have on the nation’s health.”
Parita Doshi, director – A Healthy Life mission at Nesta, said: “Our valuable collaboration with Asda shows that when you increase opportunities for healthier eating, customers respond. Our work with Asda showcases that a company-wide retailer health target can be delivered through a range of tactics, including breaking this down by category. We are pleased that the learnings from the partnership indicate that this approach could lead to significant health improvements and look forward to them being applied and scaled across the business and beyond.”
Trial initiatives included increased prominence of healthier choices in key store areas, healthier snacking bays with clear customer signage, and incentives to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption such as vouchers and children’s snack offers.
Asda will now assess trial results to better understand how these initiatives can be scaled and integrated across the wider business.
