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The president of Marks and Spencer criticized a repression to come against advertising badly in the United Kingdom, saying that this would be equivalent to “regulating to prevent people from talking about meat pies”.
Archie Norman said on Wednesday that a plan aimed at prohibiting advertising of junk food on television before 9 p.m. meant that the retailer would probably not be able to justify the expenses of a Christmas food ad.
“You will not be able to broadcast an ad that includes Christmas pudding, your meat pies or sausages,” said Norman at an industry conference.
The government announced last year that junk food advertisements would be prohibited before 9 p.m. on television from October 2025, as part of the work push to slow down obesity in children.
However, ministers have also publicly committed to reducing regulations to stimulate economic growth.
The Christmas advertisements of British retailers are launched with fanfare, with supermarkets in particular by spending millions of books to compete for the attention of buyers during the holiday season.
“The problem this year … is that we have more incoming regulations than we had (at) each time I remember,” said Norman, speaking to Retail Technology Show in London.
M&S is one of the most affected retailers by surveys Designed to reduce unsustainable packaging, which should increase its annual costs by 40 million pounds sterling. The retailers also criticized the bill on employment rights of the government of labor.
He admitted that it was a “perfectly reasonable idea” to limit the advertising of unhealthy products to children. But he added: “This country regulates to prevent people from talking about meat pies during the day.”
The authority of advertising standards prepares revised advice on the ban.
The retailers expressed their concern about what a lack of clear guidelines could lead to advertisements captured by the 9 p.m. watershed, even if they did not explicitly include less healthy foods and drinks.
The Conservatives announced a similar ban on the Malbuste television promotions when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister, but then put aside the plan.
Eight of the 10 “most effective” Christmas advertisements of 2024, on the basis of Kantar's data, would be prohibited under proposals, including those of certain large supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, according to the commercial publication The Grocer.
The ASA, whose role is to add such restrictions to its advertising codes based on British law, refused to comment.
In addition, Norman continued by saying that selling online food was “a profit desert”.
“No one really makes real benefit of online food,” he said before clarifying that it was “an exaggeration … (but) there was more wealth destroyed in people trying to develop online food companies than any other industry I can think of.”
He recognized that M&S investors “do not think there is a lot of value, probably zip” in his 50-50 joint venture with Ocado Retail, the online supermarket he bought in An offer of 750 million pounds sterling In 2019, which allows him to sell M&S products online.
But he said that the company was still precious. “I think it will be worth a lot of money. I think it will be, only in the world, how to deliver a better online food business. ”
Ms Previously, dissatisfaction with regard to the lack of profitability of Ocado Retail, but has been more positive recently, noting an increase in sales.
The Ministry of Health and Social Coins said: “This government is committed to attacking the obesity crisis, and that is why we have taken measures to end the targeting of junk food for children, on television and online. Evidence shows that there is a strong public support for this decision.”
