Price or multibuy promotions deals for junk food banned

Price or multibuy promotions - such as buy one, get one free offers - on unhealthy food and drink items has been introduced in England.

The new restrictions will apply in supermarkets, high street shops and online retailers.

They’ll be followed by a ban on the advertising of unhealthy food and drink before 9pm on television from January, as well as a total ban on online promotions.

Multibuy promotions ‘encourage impulse buying’

Ministers hope the new rules will help to tackle rising obesity levels, especially among children.

But the Association of Public Health Directors (APHD) also believes they could help people’s finances.

“Multibuy promotions do not save people money,” said president Greg Fell.

“In fact, they encourage them to spend more.

"They are designed to encourage impulsive purchases and to normalise buying more and more frequently."

Retailers ‘should promote healthy products more’

The APHD hopes the new rules will prompt retailers to step up the promotion of healthier food and drink products and make them more accessible.

Mr Fell told BBC News that obesity has gone up at an unprecedented rate in the last few years.

He added that it’s also a “key driver” of health inequalities, as people in more deprived areas are almost twice as likely to be obese.

People eating out less, snacking in more

The timing of the new rules being introduced is notable, as a recent study found that people are increasingly turning to the supermarkets for their indulgences rather than eating out.

According to Worldpanel by Numerator, casual and fast-food restaurants saw a 6% drop in customers year-on-year in the three months to mid-July.

But sales of branded snacks and drinks jumped by 6.1% in August, while own-brand versions grew by 4.1%. 

Interestingly, that’s the biggest gap in favour of brands since early 2024, suggesting that when people do treat themselves, they want something they really enjoy.