Shelf Watch campaign finds strong support for Scottish brands

NFU Scotland’s campaign to encourage shoppers to look at the promotion and branding of Scottish produce on shop shelves has brought positive results.

Since the launch of the ‘Shelf Watch’ Campaign six weeks ago, the Union has been encouraging consumers to take a closer look at the produce they pick up from supermarket shelves to make sure that Scottish promotional material really means Scottish produce.

The campaign looks to identify good practice around Scottish products in supermarket stores but also to tackle instances where imported produce could be bought believing it was Scottish or Scottish produce is found sharing shelf space or co-mingling with imports.

The first month of the campaign has highlighted that, in the main, the retailers are doing a very good job for Scottish food. 

Consumers have been sending in pictures of where they have seen good examples of Scottish promotional materials in supermarkets, and also examples of where they feel more could be done to accurately promote the fantastic quality and variety of Scottish produce that can be found in stores. 

Allan Bowie, Vice-President of NFU Scotland, said:

“Over the years, we have received a few complaints where members have found that Scottish point of sale materials in supermarkets were not matched with Scottish produce on the shelves. Our Shelf Watch Campaign has been taking a closer look at what is happening now in stores.

“To date, the overall response we have had from consumers has been incredibly positive. Cases where Scottish produce and imported product are co-mingling on shelves under Scottish promotional material appear to have largely gone. Point of sale material has also been tightened up in the majority of instances, meaning that when Scotland is promoted as the country of origin of a product, it is accurately backed up with what can be found on the shelf. 

“Within the first weeks of the Shelf Watch Campaign, Tesco and the Co-op have come out particularly well in their promotion of Scottish produce, but it would be fair to say that none of the retailers have come out as villains of the piece.

“While there is a lot of Scottish product in stores, not all the produce is drawn to consumers attention clearly, so there remains opportunities for better promotion of Scottish products by using accurate and effective point of sale materials more widely.”

Notes to editors

• Each month there is a prize of £100 of Farm Shop vouchers given to a randomly selected entrant who has submitted a picture to the Shelf Watch campaign. The winner for July is David Wake from Stornoway. 
• Consumers can submit good, and bad, examples of Scottish promotional materials being used to promote products by emailing pictures to shelfwatch@nfus.org.uk or texting them to 07920 018 621, along with the name and location of the store.

Ends Contact Wendy Fleming on 0131 472 4020