Tesco is trying to win over shoppers with a trial of handing out free fruit to children.
The supermarket, which is fighting heavy competition from discounters and the popularity of online shopping, will place boxes of apples, bananas and oranges near store entrances for parents to give to their children.
Fifteen Tesco stores in Glasgow will participate in a four-week trial of the idea after a similar initiative by a Tesco store manager in Lincolnshire proved popular.
Josh Hardie, the corporate responsibility director for Tesco, said: “As a father myself I know just how much of a challenge it can be to navigate the aisles with hungry children in tow. As well as helping make sure children get their all-important five a day, we’re hoping this new plan will help instil some healthy eating habits that will stay with children as they grow up.
“We saw such a fantastic reaction from customers in Lincolnshire, we thought it would be a great idea to try it in other parts of the UK.”
A Tesco in Tring introduced a similar scheme last month and in Australia the Woolworths supermarket chain is doing the same in more than 900 stores.
The Tesco boss, Dave Lewis, has encouraged staff to improve the service for shoppers under the slogan “every little help makes a big difference”. Initiatives include distributing unsold food to charities and stopping the sale of sugary drinks designed for school lunchboxes.
The moves are part of a plan to improve the battered image of the supermarket chain which has been tarnished by a £263m accounting scandal and shopper complaints about high prices and poor service.
Lewis has also put thousands more staff into stores and trimmed prices on well-known brands.
He previously said: “This is a brand that can build more belief and trust and we have to do that through the things we do. Our behaviour determines what people think of our brand.”
