Leclerc is set to become the first French supermarket to remove chocolates and sweets from checkout displays.
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The company described the move as a “pioneering initiative” and it comes a month after the French government announced a raft of measures to combat child obesity.
Some 13 products will be removed on 1 June, including lines from Kinder and Haribo.
The lines represent 4.2 % of Leclerc’s turnover – around EUR4.7m (US$7.2m) – and they will be “repatriated” to the main confectionery aisle, the company said.
Leclerc is mulling re-stocking the checkout displays with more health-conscious fare.
“We are responding to the [Health] minister’s call and, while we’re not kidding ourselves that through this simple initiative obesity will be reduced, we are going to influence behaviour,” said Leclerc’s chief executive Michel-Edouard Leclerc.
He added that the chain will also be investing in in-store advertising to highlight the dangers of snacking.
