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Marks and Spencer (M&S) has become the first retailer to include alcohol sales in its food reporting as part of its voluntary commitment to transparency on healthy product sales.
The company said it has a target for 70% of its food sales by tonnage to come from healthier products, a goal it reached in the 2024/25 financial year. Alcohol will now be included in these reports.
While the government plans to introduce mandatory sales reporting for retailers by 2029, current models exclude alcohol.
The NHS lists overconsumption of alcohol as a cause of obesity and think tank Nesta reports that alcohol contributes a small but significant share of “empty” calories – around 5% of calories purchased by UK adults overall.
This equates to around 140 calories each day, the same as a standard 175ml glass of wine.
According to the M&S Collective 2 report, 60% of its customers who pursued a healthier period over Christmas reported a reduction in alcohol consumption.
Given the role of alcohol in UK diets and the potential impact on health, M&S is voluntarily including alcohol in its reporting, alongside the sales of high salt, fat and sugar products that it already declares.
The retailer said it is advocating for other businesses and the government to include alcohol in future mandatory reporting frameworks. The move follows the company’s previous introduction of nutritional signposting in 2005.
Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, said: “We are voluntarily including alcohol in our Healthy Food Sales target because it’s the right thing to do. We support the Government’s proposal for mandatory reporting of food sales, encouraging retailers to make healthy choices easier for customers.
“However, reporting models do not currently include alcohol, which, as research shows, can contribute to empty calories, having a potential impact on health. We encourage other retailers and the Government to include alcohol in food sales reporting to offer full transparency on healthy and non-healthy food choices.”
Karen Tyrell, chief executive of Drinkaware, added: “We’re delighted by M&S’s decision to boldly lead the way as the first major retailer to set ambitious, measurable targets for alcohol as part of their reporting.
“Our research shows nearly three-quarters of all alcohol is bought in supermarkets and convenience stores, and with UK drinkers most likely to regularly drink at home, this move will provide valuable insights into the habits and behaviours of home drinkers.”
