The Co-op and charity Barnardo’s have called on supermarkets to allow 16 and 17-year-old students access to loyalty schemes and the discounts they provide on food.
The Co-op said its sales data on members aged 16 and 17 showed that the lunchtime meal deal was the most popular purchase, adding that young people could save on average £60 a year by being part of the scheme.
Co-op said it was the only national UK food retailer to offer 16 and 17-year-olds independent access to savings as part of its loyalty programme.
Retailers tend to offer loyalty deals to shoppers who are over 18, meaning younger students are forced to pay higher prices.
Last year, Barnardo’s released its Recipe For Success report in partnership with the Co-op that highlighted the importance of access to food for young people’s well-being.
The report set out several recommendations to Government and food retailers to make “impactful” changes, including considering ways that 16 and 17-year-olds could buy discounted food by amending the terms of their retail discount schemes or considering the introduction of other discounts.
The report also included Co-op member data that suggested 97% of Co-op members aged 16 to 25 believed that retailers should look at ways of increasing access to affordable food for young people, particularly as they become more independent.
Co-op recently sent a joint letter with Barnardo’s and consumer group Which? to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ask for support in making sure that 16 and 17-year-olds are no longer excluded from food retail discounts.
Rachel Halter, director of membership at the Co-op, said: “We see first-hand the volume of young people that come into our stores to buy food and drink, a number which increases during term times, as they depend on our stores during their studies.
“I feel strongly that opening access to value for young people is an important issue, one we’ve been campaigning on with Barnardo’s for more than 12 months and we’re yet to see any changes.
“It seems wrong to me that we are close to allowing 16-year-olds the ability to vote, yet they can’t access lower-priced food and offers to save money when shopping from many retailers. Allowing 16 and 17-year-olds membership delivers in a truly co-operative way, providing both economic and social value to the individuals and the community.”
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “Our research with Co-op found that nearly one in four secondary and college-aged students was struggling to access healthy food in their communities.
“It means too many young people haven’t got access to the affordable and nutritious food that will help them thrive, both now and into adulthood.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Co-op on this important issue, supporting positive futures for young people. With back-to-school season upon us, we urge all supermarkets to make a fresh start and expand their retail discount schemes to 16 and 17-year-olds.”
Ola Anretioloaluwa, a 20-year-old university student from London, who is a member of the Co-op and Barnardo’s Youth Advisory Group and has been working alongside both organisations to raise awareness of this issue, said: “It isn’t fair that young people are shut out of discounts and offers just because of their age.
“The cost-of-living crisis is hitting everyone hard, and young people aren’t excluded from that – so why should they be excluded from discounts?”
Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said: “Many supermarket loyalty schemes are unavailable to under-18s, which will no doubt impact the pockets of young people and students returning to work, school or college in the coming weeks.
“However, there are several retailers – including Co-op, Boots and Superdrug – that allow teenagers to use their loyalty schemes. Others should follow suit and open up their loyalty cards to under-18s who are currently being unfairly left out of exclusive deals.
“In the meantime, under-18s should shop around the stores near them and compare prices to make sure they are getting the best offer even without a loyalty card.”
