HFSS Legislation
The Scottish Government introduced new legislation restricting the promotion and placement of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). The regulations came into effect on 1 October 2026.
The legislation restricts where retailers can display and promote certain HFSS products. As a result, affected retailers needed to review their store layouts and product placement to meet the new requirements.
The Challenge
The Co-operative Group engaged RAS, its longstanding merchandising services provider, to support the implementation of the new HFSS regulations across 130 stores in Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands.
The project involved tight deadlines and detailed compliance requirements. RAS also needed to coordinate changes across multiple locations while minimising disruption to daily trading operations.
The Approach
To meet these challenges, RAS developed a structured, phased approach. This combined detailed planning, experienced merchandising teams and close collaboration with Co-op.
- Phased Store Planning:
RAS reviewed individual store plans and bay counts to develop nightly phasing plans. These plans helped teams implement changes to store layouts and product placement efficiently, with minimal disruption to trading.
- Rolling Project Delivery:
RAS introduced a rolling delivery plan using an implementation week minus three approach. This allowed store scoping, phasing, scheduling and implementation to progress concurrently throughout the project.
- Experienced Merchandising Teams:
Highly experienced RAS merchandisers carried out the in-store changes. Careful pre-start planning helped teams complete the work efficiently and consistently across multiple locations.
- Continuous Review and Collaboration:
Co-op and RAS held daily weekday calls over 15 weeks to review the previous night’s work. Together, they addressed challenges, adapted plans where necessary and maintained regular communication throughout the programme.
The Result
RAS successfully delivered a large-scale merchandising programme across Scotland. The project involved:
- 130 stores across Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands
- 11,240 merchandising hours worked
- 1,124 merchandising shifts completed
- 300 project management hours delivered
Through careful planning and close collaboration with Co-op, RAS completed the programme on time and within budget. Experienced merchandising teams maintained high standards while minimising disruption to store operations.
What Our Client Said
RAS consistently communicated in a professional and supportive manner, helping to build strong working relationships and enabling the successful delivery of this large-scale project on time, within budget, and to a high standard.
Their merchandising phasing plans were particularly effective in engaging delivery teams, reducing errors, and ensuring accurate implementation in line with legislative requirements.
Feedback from store leaders was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the accuracy of RAS’s work, their commitment to maintaining high standards of cleanliness, and their willingness to support additional store tasks once their primary responsibilities had been completed.