The rest of this briefing focuses on how health targets for retailers could be designed, implemented and enforced to reduce obesity. 

Large retailers make up over 95% of the grocery market and are the gatekeepers of the majority of what we eat.

As the major link between food producers and consumers, they hold considerable power and influence over the whole food system. They should be held accountable for the role they play in determining the health of the nation.

However, a mandatory targets policy must not be unduly burdensome for industry, nor detrimental to its bottom line.

For this reason, the key requirement of our work was that targets must lead to a reduction in total calories purchased, while not leading to a reduction in the total value of products sold.

Our research looked at a range of options for retailer targets, with a focus on assessing the best measures for improving health and reducing obesity. To do this, we have analysed food purchasing data from Kantar’s Worldpanel Division [6], an international market research company. The dataset comprises food and drink purchases taken into the home in 2021 for a sample of approximately 30,000 British households, which we used to model the potential impact of targets on calorie purchasing and population obesity rates (see Box 1 or technical appendix for further detail of the analysis and modelling). Alongside this, we engaged with experts from the UK food industry (including some of the biggest retailers), policymakers, health charities and academia through interviews and a workshop to assess the feasibility of different target options. We also commissioned an economist to appraise the policy (see economic assessment), and sought legal advice from the legal firm Kingsley Napley LLP, which was incorporated within this note and the implementation plan.

[6] All analysis and interpretation was conducted independently of Kantar Worldpanel. Kantar has not independently verified the findings.