With the ban on volume-based promotions of products high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) in supermarkets in England set to come into force next month, new research has revealed changes in consumer shopping behaviour since the first phase of the legislation was introduced.
Demonstrating the impact of recent food and drink price inflation, just 27% of consumers say they would be happy to buy HFSS food and drink when it is not on offer. This represents a significant decrease from the 61% in 2022, when the first phase of HFSS restrictions was introduced, who said they would definitely pay more for these products.
The research, conducted by product intelligence business Vypr, identified what consumers now want and how their shopping habits have changed with regard to HFSS products.
A key difference that has emerged over the last three years, since HFSS location-based restrictions were implemented, is that consumers are placing a higher importance on healthier foods. 24% now say they buy healthy food regularly compared to 17% in 2022.
This suggests that government interventions and adjustments from industry have been effective and that changes have gained support from consumers. The majority (61%) think that the incoming ban on volume-based promotions is a good idea.
When asked what they prioritise when shopping for food, buying products that are low in salt and/or sugar has moved up in priority from fourth place to third. Value and taste remain top priorities.
Further to this, 39% told Vypr that they will buy less HFSS food and drink when the volume-based promotion restriction comes into force on 1st October. When the same question was asked in 2022 about whether they would buy less HFSS products when this restriction came in, just 11% said it would impact their weekly shop.
Meanwhile, two-thirds (67%) of those questioned said they were not aware of the plans to ban volume promotions on HFSS products, but they are supportive. When asked which types of products should have no volume promotions, 46% said fizzy drinks, followed by 34% who stated cakes and biscuits, while 33% said ready meals, 23% pizza and 22% ice cream.
The research further identified that while most consumers are still checking labels, behaviour has changed. 58% stated that they check nutrition labels when purchasing food products, down from 73% in 2022. Given that more consumers say they buy healthy food regularly, this suggests a shift towards increased awareness of healthy ingredients and a higher level of knowledge about what is healthy and what is not.
“On the surface, this latest consumer insight shows that HFSS regulations, as well as recent public focus on things like ultra-processed foods, have been a huge success in terms of helping the nation to eat more healthily,” said Ben Davies, founder of Vypr.
“We also asked what consumers’ opinions are of the new promotion-based restriction, and the top answer was that they think the volume ban is ‘babying consumers’ and that they should be able to make their own decisions. This was followed, significantly, by shoppers claiming that it would help other people cut down, but they don’t need to.
“It all shows that there is still a long way to go for consumers to be truly aware of what they are eating and drinking, and more headway for brands to make changes and reformulate their products so they still taste good but are healthier. A very similar number of consumers from 2022 to 2025 (41% and 37% respectively) expect brands to be changing their ingredients to stay within HFSS guidelines, showing there is a huge opportunity for those brands that can do so and communicate it quickly.”
