| Context/ examples | Australian parents have had enough of candy in Supermarket checkout lanes
Posted Feb 3rd 2006 3:30PM by J.D. Griffioen Filed under: Eating, Tantrums, Stores and shopping, Emotions
It's no secret that childhood obesity rates are up just about everywhere, but in the U.K. and now Australia, parents are taking the fight to supermarket chains who position candy and unhealthy treats at child-eye level in the checkout lines, a practice that is even more widespread in the United States. An Australian lobbying group has taken a survey to the industry indicating that more than 70 percent of Australian parents would consider changing the stores where they shopped if a rival supermarket offered candy-free checkout aisles.
"Pester power and tantrums are commonplace events at the checkout counter in every supermarket in the country," a representative of the lobbying group said. It totally makes sense why grocery stores do it. It's the most tense place in the store, you're fumbling with your money, trying to make sure everything gets from the cart to the conveyer belt, and trying to wrangle your kids. The stores know that if they can get your kid to assert some "pester power" and threaten a tantrum, you bet you're going to buy them a sweet to shut them the hell up. The group is calling for supermarkets to restock half of their checkouts with healthy foods or non-food items only, following a similar move by main supermarket chains in the United Kingdom. |
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| Comment | I'm constantly reminded here how much German I don't know! The only thing I can suggest would be "checkout line candy (aimed at children)". Look at the link above. Maybe it will give you some ideas. "Pester power" seems to be similiar to the German, but this is a made up phrase, not a standard one. Selling candy by making use of pester power...how could that be good? |
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