As part of Tesco's continuing healthy eating initiative, the supermarket giant will offer free fruit to kids for eating in store as their moms and dads are shopping. This initiative definitely eases parents' pain out of the weekly grocery shop.
Just the other year, Tesco had tested this initiative in Scotland. Now, the biggest supermarket in UK offers in 800 stores a variety of fruits: bananas, apples and citrus fruit for parents to pick up for their kids at the start of their shopping trip according to a report on International Business Times. Confronted with fierce competition from fast-growing discounters Lidl and Aldi and, Tesco is now looking for ways to win over shoppers.
Maria Simpson, one of the supermarket's checkout assistants, came up with this idea. Working in Lincolnshire store, Simpson suggested that handing out free fruit to kids would really provide a healthy alternative to sweets, which are more often a last resort for harassed parents.
Tesco was the first ever major retailer to take out sweets and chocolates from its checkouts two years ago. Tesco announced in 2015 that it sells children's lunchbox-sized soft drinks that have no added sugar as cited on The Guardian. Every month, Tesco gives away 1 million pieces of fruit as part of its new healthy eating push.
"We are Britain's biggest greengrocer, so we want to make it easier for parents to get their children eating more healthily," Matt Davies said. Davies is the UK chief of Tesco. "As a dad, I know it can be tricky getting children to eat their fruit and vegetables, so we're hoping this initiative will help create healthy eating habits that will stay with children as they grow up," Davies added.
The British Heart Foundation has definitely welcomed Tesco's idea. "It's a positive step towards improving children's health throughout the UK and helps parents ensure their children get their five portions of fruit and vegetables every day," said Simon Gillespie, the foundation's chief executive.
