Healthy Stores 2020: Reducing merchandising of discretionary food to improve health

This report of the recently completed Healthy Stores 2020 study, led by A/Prof. Julie Brimblecombe, partnered with Australia’s largest Indigenous corporation to demonstrate the impact of restricting merchandising in the remote food retail sector of discretionary food and beverages on sales of free sugars and targeted products and business outcomes. This study showed the equivalent of a 1.8 tonne reduction in free sugars purchased from stores over the 10-week trial and no adverse impact on gross profit. A series of policy action papers has also been co-developed with stakeholders, building on the results of this study.