Jan. 12--Aldi, a grocery discounter with a growing presence in the Chicago area, is overhauling its checkout lanes with healthier food.
By the end of the year, Chicago-area Aldi stores will have "healthier" checkout with nuts, trail mixes, dried fruits and granola bars -- instead of chocolate and candy, the company announced Tuesday. Candy will still be available in other areas of the store, said Kim Morrison, Aldi spokeswoman.
Aldi joins other chains that have replaced junk food with healthier options as the drumbeat from health advocates has grown louder. In October, Target began piloting checkout lanes with healthier food in Minneapolis, Dallas and Denver.
More traditional grocery store companies have made similar efforts in recent years and lost money, said Jackie Gray, director of product services for food retail consulting firm Willard Bishop.
"A candy bar makes more money than an apple," Gray said.
But as consumers continue to demand healthier and fresher food, retailers and manufacturers are changing too, she said. Gray pointed to Campbell's Soup's recent decision to list genetically modified ingredients on the label.
Gray described such changes as "a slow burn."
"Retailers are dipping their toe in the water. They're trying to figure out who their customers are and what they care about," she said.
The healthier checkout aisles will make their debut in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Minneapolis this spring before Chicago, Morrison said.
Aldi has almost 1,500 stores nationally.
gtrotter@tribpub.com
