Woolworths well on its way to healthier queues

Woolworths store at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

Image source: BDlive

These new snacking options will not include fresh vegetables and fruit. However, instead of sweets, chocolates, and crisps, customers can expect to see dried fruit, biltong and nuts.

Woolworths said the choice of these items was based on initial research, but the company remained open to suggestions concerning alternative snack options.

"We are well on track to deliver on our target of 166 stores completed by the end of June," said Woolworths on Thursday.

"This June milestone in the sweets and chocolates relocation roll-out will represent 50% of all our stores, with the remaining 50% to be completed during the course of 2016 and 2017."

Woolworths announced the move in August 2015 as part of its Good Food Journey initiative, which aims to offer healthier options to customers.

Absa Investments retail analyst Chris Gilmour said Woolworths had "done their homework".

"They are trying to differentiate themselves as the healthier and upmarket alternative." Gilmour said goodies in the check-out aisle were impulse buys that, in most cases, the customer would probably not have bought had they been located elsewhere.

Retailers do not report how much revenue they generate from goods in the checkout aisle, but it is understood these revenue streams are strong.

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, announced in 2014 it would be removing junk food from its checkout aisles.

Since then, Tesco has been criticised on numerous occasions, as crisps and other junk foods continue to be spotted there.