Friday 19 July 2013

A Modest Proposal for the Supermarkets - Lucy Coats

Do not worry. I am not proposing anything Swiftian. No eating of children will take place in this post.  My modest proposal has to do with the recent furore over the overt marketing of sweets at supermarket tills.

In case you missed it, The Children's Food Campaign have, since 2003 been running a campaign called "Chuck Snacks off the Checkout", calling for an end to the promotion of unhealthy food and drink products at supermarket checkout points and also in non-food outlets like HMV, New Look, W.H.Smith and Superdrug.  A recent survey has found that instead of decreasing, the trend has, in fact increased. Obesity in children has increased too - though sweets at the checkout are obviously not the only reason for this.

Imagine, then, that the supermarkets listen to The Children's Food Campaigners and others, and remove the sweets.  What would they replace them with?  This is where my modest proposal comes in.

WHY NOT REPLACE THEM WITH CHILDREN'S BOOKS?



Is that such a stupid idea?

I realise that there are well-rehearsed arguments to be had over things like discounting and other broader matters about books in supermarkets versus independent bookshops, but that's not my point here.  Helping literacy, getting books (any books) into the hands of children who might not otherwise ever visit an independent bookshop is surely better than feeding them yet another packet of Percy Pigs or Haribo. The supermarkets could even, as Sainsburys did some years ago in conjunction with Walker Books, commission their own series.

Maybe you agree - maybe you disagree. I'd really like to hear what all of you who read this blog regularly have to say. I'd also like to know if Asda, Sainsburys and Tesco and others have an opinion about my modest proposal. If we get a real debate going in the comments, that would be a start. Will you join in?

Lucy's new picture book, Bear's Best Friend, is published by Bloomsbury 
"A charming story about the magic of friendship which may bring a tear to your eye" Parents in Touch 
"The language is a joy…thoughtful and enjoyable" Armadillo Magazine. 
"Coats's ebullient, sympathetic story is perfectly matched by Sarah Dyer's warm and witty illustrations." The Times   
Her latest series for 7-9s, Greek Beasts and Heroes is out now from Orion Children's Books. 
Lucy's Website
Lucy blogs at An Awfully Big Blog Adventure on the 19th of every month
Join Lucy's Facebook Fanpage
Follow Lucy on Twitter
Lucy is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor Ltd

16 comments:

JO said...

What a wonderful idea - kids pestering for books! My one thought - those mums on limited incomes, having to say no, they can barely afford one children's book a month - even so, much better than all those sweets!

Ann Turnbull said...

Brilliant idea! Though I agree with Jo about the expense; the books would need to be small and cheap. When I was young and skint with two under-fives I used to buy those little Ladybird books in the local newsagent's. All other books were borrowed from the library.

Lucy Coats said...

Yes, keeping the expense down is a given here. I'm thinking board books, small picture books, World Book Day-sized short fiction. I'd love publishers/government/supermarkets/chains to work together on this with authors/illustrators/National Literacy co-ordinators/Book Trust etc. This post is only a small pebble, but I hope it creates an avalanche.

adele said...

I cannot tell you how much I agree .I've also been banging on for DECADES about this and about putting YA books into places like TOPSHOP! Well done you!

catdownunder said...

I think it is an excellent idea. Small books at a reasonable price - but also books of good quality content please! And authors still need to be properly rewarded!
I suspect many parents would welcome the idea.

Lucy Coats said...

I'm just starting to get the 'threat to bookshops' comments on Twitter now. I'd like to say that it's absolutely NOT my intention to take away custom from our brilliant booksellers with this idea. There is a large segment of society who NEVER enter a bookshop. All of them go to supermarkets. This is about broadening the appeal of books, widening the market. I agree absolutely with Cat that authors need to be rewarded properly - but it doesn't have to be on a royalty basis here. A generous flat fee is often acceptable - I've taken flat fees in the past for books which sold a lot of copies, and never regretted it.

Jackie Marchant said...

I think it's a great idea! Also agree with your comment re bookshops.

C.J.Busby said...

Something along World Book Day lines, a short 'taster' that is cheap but might encourage more exploration - whether via libraries or bookshops - would be brilliant! I'd write one! Way to go, publishers and supermarkets - brainstorm now!!

Catherine Butler said...

An idea whose time has definitely come! (Get Malorie Blackman on the case...)

Stephen Davies said...

This is a thoroughly good idea. I say that as a parent, not just as a children's author! Definitely worth following up in whatever way you can.

michelle lovric said...

As the supermarkets are such big players publishers could prepare whole runs for them based on a super-economic format, with the supermarket's own branding? Smaller versions of existing books, or even specially commissioned new series formatted and priced for the checkout area, with their own point-of-sale material. Books that concentrate on healthy nutrition might be favoured? Brava lucy!

Anonymous said...

As the supermarkets are such big players publishers could prepare whole runs for them based on a super-economic format, with the supermarket's own branding? Smaller versions of existing books, or even specially commissioned new series formatted and priced for the checkout area, with their own point-of-sale material. Books that concentrate on healthy nutrition might be favoured? Brava lucy!
Michelle Lovric posting as anonymous as blogger doesn't like people posting from Venice today.

Julie said...

I was working in Tesco as their Clubcard and Recipe magazine publishing manager in the 90's - they removed the sweets from the tills then in the supermarkets because parents said they didn't want them there. They used the space to promote the Tesco brand instead like putting the in-house magazines there and they used to fly off the shelves. Today the space is used to promote Tesco services like banking and insurance... although it's true that in the small formats like Express and Metro the sweet aisle is close to the till queue.
I agree with the point you make, a retailer like WHS that does so much to promote literacy could do more if they replaced the walkway of chocolate with something less fattening and more educational - it's just such a key sales area for them that trying to secure the space is like winning the lottery. Worth doing for such a good cause though - even if it's just for a promotion, like Christmas or School Holidays - after all, happy parents = happy customers!

Stroppy Author said...

Great idea - but won't people just read them while they stand in the queue and then put them back? Like I do with the supermarket magazine...

Ms. Yingling said...

In the US, books are sometimes produced for breakfast cereal boxes or fast food restaraunt giveaways, so there must be ways to produce books more cheaply. When I was growing p, I remember Little Golden Books at the check out- today these run 2.35 GBP, but seemed cheaper back then! Hope you can get this idea spread!

Ann Turnbull said...

Today I remembered to look in our local Tesco, and they have NO sweets or other foodstuffs at the checkouts, only small leaflets - so I'm wondering whether other supermarkets are now the same? Is it a diminishing problem? (And come to think of it, I haven't seen a child throwing a tantrum in Tesco, either!)