Scotland’s new food promotion rules change shop displays and multi-buy deals

Scotland’s restrictions on promoting certain less healthy prepacked foods took effect on 1 October 2026, changing displays and some deals in larger shops and online. For shoppers, the change means fewer covered products at entrances, checkouts and aisle ends, and fewer multi-buy offers; it does not remove those products from sale.

The rules target specified food and drink categories when a product meets a nutrient profiling test. They cover both placement and promotions, but the conditions differ: a qualifying business must have at least 50 employees, while the in-store placement restrictions apply to stores with at least 185.8 square metres, or 2,000 square feet, of relevant floor area. Equivalent prominent locations online are also covered.

Which foods and displays are covered in Scotland?

The Scottish Government lists sugary soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits, cakes, ice cream, savoury snacks, breakfast cereals and sweetened dairy products among the targeted categories. Some convenience foods, including pizzas, ready meals, chips and breaded products, may also qualify. Being in one of those categories is not enough by itself: the product must meet the applicable threshold under the UK 2004/05 Nutrient Profiling Model.

For covered products, prominent in-store positions such as shop entrances, checkouts and aisle ends are restricted. BBC News also identifies designated queueing areas. A shopper may therefore find a familiar product elsewhere in the same shop. The Scottish Government says the rules do not ban any food or drink and that people can still buy the products affected.

Which offers change, and do meal deals remain?

Some volume-based price offers are restricted in shops and online, including multi-buy deals such as ‘2 for £10’ and ‘buy one get one free’. Certain offers describing an item or part of it as free are also covered, as are some free refills of sugary soft drinks. The restrictions address how qualifying products are promoted, rather than setting a general ban on discounts or fixing their prices.

Meal deals remain exempt, according to the Scottish Government’s consumer guidance. Alcohol promotions are also outside these regulations. The exemption for a meal deal does not give a covered product permission to occupy a restricted display position: BBC News reports that an item included in such a deal must still be kept away from locations such as a supermarket entrance.

The rules reach beyond supermarkets. The Scottish Government says they apply to qualifying businesses in settings including convenience stores, department stores and retail outlets in transport hubs. The government’s implementation guidance sets out the separate floor-area condition for placement restrictions, so the location rules do not apply identically to every business covered by the policy.

Why Scotland introduced the restrictions

Ministers say the policy is intended to make healthier choices easier and reduce impulse buying. Public Health Minister Maree Todd said promotions and prominent placement can encourage people to buy and consume more foods high in calories, fat, sugar and salt. That is the government’s rationale; the sources do not establish whether the new rules have already changed buying habits, diets or health outcomes.

Public Health Scotland says 66% of adults in Scotland are living with overweight. Its article published when the rules came into force also says 24% of children measured in Primary 1 are at risk of overweight or obesity, and that children in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to be at risk of obesity as those in the least deprived areas. The agency presents the restrictions as one part of a wider approach to diet and health inequalities.

Retailers will bear implementation costs. Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said the industry supports helping consumers make healthier choices and described the regulations as proportionate. In comments published by the Scottish Government, he estimated that retailers would invest around £20 million to put the policy into effect. That figure is the trade body’s estimate, not a reported final cost.

How the new rules will be enforced

Local authorities are responsible for enforcement, according to the Scottish Government. Its implementation guidance says failure to comply can amount to an offence and may lead to enforcement action. The available sources do not identify retailer-level compliance findings or enforcement cases since the rules began.

Scotland’s rules follow similar restrictions in England and Wales, which the Scottish Government said were already in place when it announced the October start date. For now, the clearest change is to the way eligible retailers present and promote covered products. Whether the policy delivers the healthier purchasing patterns ministers seek remains an outcome to measure after implementation.