Lidl has called on other supermarkets to introduce design changes on packaging to help make fruit and veg more appealing to children.
The call came as Lidl revealed that sales of its Oaklands Funsize range has increased by more than one third since the introduction of specially designed packaging in 2017.
The Oaklands collection comprises of fresh fruit and veg with quirky names and cartoon characters, such as Banana-Llamas and Tawny Tomatowl.
To further engage youngsters, competitions were held to name and design cartoon characters. The result has been the introduction of numerous memorable characters, including Koala Pears, which led to nearly a quarter of a million additional units being sold the year after the competition closed.
Doubling down on its bid to help children eat healthier diets and aid parents in combating pester power, the supermarket will also remove cartoon characters on unhealthy products by spring 2024, apart from Christmas, Easter, and Halloween ranges. Over 14 different product categories will be impacted, including sweets, chocolates and savoury snacks. At least 30 products will get a fresh look.
The move follows Lidl’s removal of cartoon characters from cereal packaging in 2020.
Research has revealed that over two-thirds (68%) of parents found child-friendly characters on unhealthy food and drink packaging made it more difficult to feed their children a healthy diet.
The announcement follows the publication of Lidl’s new Healthy & Sustainable Diets Policy, which aims to ensure diets are healthier, more sustainable and easier to understand to aid customers decision making in-store.
