Sainsbury’s helps shoppers set personalized fruit and veg intake goals with Nectar app

04 Jun 2021 --- UK retailer Sainsbury’s is gamifying the government’s call for consumers to eat five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day with The Great Big Fruit and Veg Challenge, running from June 1 to 28. 

The challenge uses fun, interactive targets to encourage customers to purchase more fruit and vegetables when shopping at Sainsbury’s by rewarding them with bonus Nectar loyalty points that can be spent at partners including Sainsbury’s, Argos and Habitat.

“We hope that by participating in the challenge, customers are inspired to pack in more nutritious food while getting more out of their points balance,” says Mark Given, chief marketing officer at Sainsbury’s. 

“As a supermarket serving communities across the country, we have a responsibility to encourage our customers to eat delicious food that is healthier for people and better for the planet.”

Fruit and vegetable intake targets are personalized based on the average amount the consumer normally buys.Tailored tracking to fit 
The in-app tracker sets each customer’s personalized fruit and vegetable targets to purchase in-store and online throughout the 28 days. 

Targets are based on their typical shopping habits and the average portions of fruit and vegetables they normally buy. 

In this year’s challenge, each customer will also have the chance to collect up to eight product badges by purchasing portions of specific fruit and vegetables, such as strawberries, tomatoes and broccoli. 

By earning a badge, customers will also receive additional bonus points. This will enable customers to earn points throughout the month as they head toward their grand total target, with the opportunity to earn over 750 points.

Users can also monitor their progress through personalized updates, opt to receive recipe ideas, as well as sustainability tips, such as food waste and storage tips and recycling information. The challenge is available exclusively on the Digital Nectar app. 

Building on success in boosting intake
The competition follows on from the previous year’s success, which resulted in more portions of fruit and vegetables being purchased. 

Last year, over 450,000 customers signed up to take the challenge and 52.5 million portions of fruit and vegetables were purchased by participating customers during the four-week challenge.

Last year’s participants took home an extra 3.6 portions of fruit and vegetables per week during the challenge.Nectar cardholders who took part in the 2020 challenge took home an extra 3.6 portions of fruit and vegetables per week during the challenge.

In the weeks after the challenge, those who took part continued to purchase more vegetables, with 2.7 more portions per week compared to before.

These findings were revealed through an analysis conducted in partnership with the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics and School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, UK. 

Retailers taking a stake in public health
Sainsbury’s says the challenge responds to findings that just over a quarter of people in the UK manage to eat five pieces of fruit or vegetables a day.

The return of the challenge follows Sainsbury’s new brand commitment to “Help Everyone Eat Better” one plate at a time, which has replaced its longstanding “Live Well for Less” motto. 

This new focus reflects the supermarket’s belief that healthy and delicious food should be available to everyone. 

Last October, Sainsbury’s participated in a trial that nudged consumers to make healthier choices at the store, resulting in increased fruit sales of 387 percent. 

The UK government is taking solid steps to encourage healthier eating. It recently committed to prohibiting advertisements on foods high in fat, sugar or salt on TV before 9 p.m. and online entirely from April 2022. 

Edited by Missy Green