Sugar Reduction at Wirrimanu

The Results: 18,700 litres less sugary drink in the community or 1,680 kilograms less sugar.

Outback Stores has been working with the Wirrimanu Aboriginal Corporation on a range of strategies over the last 12 months to reduce sugary drinks. Outback Stores policies around drinks include:

Pricing

$1 for 600ml water
Diet drinks more expensive than water
Diet drinks 25% cheaper than full sugar varieties

Placement

Water fridges at the front of the store
Sugary drinks located towards the back of the store
At least 50% display of diet drinks and water
Large (1 litre) long-life fruit drink will not be displayed in fridges

Promotion

Promotions on diet drinks and water
No discounting or promotion of sugary drinks
No display of sugary drinks in promotional areas e.g. aisle ends or special tables

Product

Full range of diet drinks and water
Diet sports drinks instead of sugary sports drinks
Largest size 1.25 litres

In addition to Outback Stores policies around sugary drinks, the community has reduced the portion size of the bottles of the most popular selling lines, reduced availability during school hours and ceased selling sugary drinks one day per week.

There are other factors which may have also affected drink sales a long-wet season which saw the community cut by road for months, relocation of the store into a smaller area while the new store was being built, the opening of a new takeaway and the sports carnival was delayed and not held in 2017.

Using the proportion of all drink sales takes into account differences in total sales. The proportion of sugary drinks has dropped 6.32% (from 56.44% to 50.12%) in 2017. This is approximately 18700 litres less sugary drink in the community or 1680 kilograms less sugar.

Outback Stores will continue to work with the community to reduce sugary drinks.