You know the check-out lines at supermarkets and stores like Target and Wal-Mart?
You know the ones. You’re minding your own business, waiting to check out, and then that enormous row of candy and gum just stares you right in the face.
It’s done on purpose, obviously. You get shown a row of cheap, sugary, salty snacks and of course you want one. This is especially true if you’ve just spent an hour or so slugging through the superstore to get everything you need.
But it’s a trap.
And now, Target is trying to dismantle it.
As part of their new companywide health initiative, Target is ditching junk-filled check-out lines at 30 of their stores.
In their place, there will be things like KIND bars, and food from Target’s own Simply Balanced line.
Senior vice president of merchandising for Target said, “We feel like we need to make the healthy option the default option. We are testing the envelope to see how far we can push it without annoying our guests. They don’t want us to tell them how to life their lives.”
This is just one of several smaller initiatives across Target.
The chain is also going to give Fitbits to all of its employees (that’s 365,000 people) and will be giving larger discounts on their activewear and their produce.
In the cafeteria section of Target, pizza, pretzels, and other unhealthy foods are giving way to healthier options, which Target says their employees have responded well to.
Wow! They’re really turning a corner.
Of course, they wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t good for business. Hennington also said they want to be sure they’re not being too preachy about their fitness angle, just encouraging healthier decision making.
As far as I’m concerned, any change is a good change!
