Morrisons Swindon is to hand out free fruit to children in its Haydon Centre store, to prevent unsold fruit being thrown away, to offer young people one of their five-a-day, and to help make the shopping trip easier for busy parents.
The Free Fruit for Kids scheme will mean that this fruit – which is ripe, sweet and of good eating quality – does not go to waste.
Every week Morrisons expects to give away 40,000 pieces of fruit that is within its ‘sell by’ window but is at risk of not being sold. The company is giving up the opportunity to sell this fruit.
A range of ‘child friendly’ types of fruit – including bananas, apples, pears, sweet clementines, and satsumas – will be offered in the store’s entrance.
The fruit will be located on a wooden stand at the front of Morrisons greengrocery area. Every morning Morrisons Swindon’s greengrocers will replenish the free fruit stand with produce that otherwise has a chance of being binned.
The supermarket is the first to offer free fruit to kids in every store and will guarantee that surplus fruit will be made available every day. Children can help themselves to the fruit as they shop with their parents.
It is hoped that the scheme will encourage children to taste and enjoy different types of fruit, which will contribute towards them eating their 5-a-day[ii].
Simon Nellis Store Manager at Morrisons Swindon said: “Sometimes our store is left with unsold fruit and customers would prefer us to find a use for it. So we’re putting out fruit – that’s at risk of not being sold – for children to help themselves. It’s healthy for them, reduces food waste in our store and will help make shopping easier for parents.”
Morrisons data shows reducing food waste is one of customers’ top concerns.
Earlier this year the supermarket committed to increase the number of wonky fruit and veg products by 50 per cent.
Morrisons Swindon will offer a wide range of varieties of fruit in the scheme including; ‘top fruit’ – such as apples and pears; citrus – such as oranges and clementines; and tropical fruit – such as bananas.
