Although nearly eight in 10 shoppers are aware of a potential new sugar tax, the majority believe it applies to far more products than just soft drinks, which may impact how much people buy of other goods, according to retail experts Nielsen.
Not one respondent surveyed correctly identified the tax only applies to sugary soft drinks.
Two-thirds incorrectly think it applies to sweets/sugared confectionery, 59% mistakenly cited chocolate and similar numbers did for biscuits (57%) and cakes (56%). Overall, the average person believes it applies to at least four product categories, while 28% don’t think it applies to soft drinks – the category it’s solely meant for.
Meanwhile, Future Thinking’s Grocery Eye 2016 study, which surveyed more than 2,000 respondents, reveals that nearly half (48%) of consumers agree with the Sugar Tax and many actually want more products to be added to the Sugar Tax, with 40% of the public calling for it to cover chocolate and sweets.
Sugar tax ‘misunderstood’
