Almost every second product in supermarket flyers is unhealthy

18.08.2025 - Supermarket flyers tempt Danes unnecessarily, and this threatens our health.

Every time we open a weekly supermarket flyer, we are met with a flood of unhealthy temptations. A new count from the Danish Cancer Society shows that on average 46 percent of all offers in weekly supermarket flyers are for products such as soft drinks, sweets, cakes, salty snacks, alcohol, and ready meals.

“It is difficult for customers to make the healthy choice when they are constantly tempted by unhealthy products at discounted prices,” says Susanne Tøttenborg, Senior Consultant at the Danish Cancer Society.

The analysis covers flyers from eight nationwide grocery chains. On average, each flyer contains 38 offers for unhealthy ready meals, foods and drinks, and 18 offers for alcohol.

“When something is both cheap and easy to get, we buy more of it. That is why it is a problem when unhealthy products take up so much space in supermarket flyers,” she says.

More people are becoming overweight

When flyers tempt and shopping baskets are filled with, for example, chocolate, chips, and microwave lasagna, it affects the health of Danes.

Studies show that in Denmark, on average, about 20 percent of our energy intake comes from unhealthy foods. This is far above the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration’s recommendation of no more than 4 to 6 percent. Alcohol is not included in these figures. At the same time, the proportion of people living with overweight is steadily increasing.

“At the Danish Cancer Society, we believe that society should be organized in a way that makes it easier for consumers to choose healthy food and avoid unhealthy options. Industry and retailers have a major influence on what ends up in people’s shopping baskets, but they do not necessarily have an interest in measures that limit the sale of unhealthy products,” says Susanne Tøttenborg.

Inspiration from abroad

Denmark is not alone in having many unhealthy products featured in flyers. In England, political action has been taken, and from October 2025 there will be a ban on multi-buy offers for unhealthy food and drink.

“We know that price and availability influence our choices. That is why the English approach is something Denmark could well be inspired by,” says Susanne Tøttenborg.

The Danish Cancer Society hopes that this new count of supermarket flyers will help draw attention to how offers influence our choices.

Read the full count here: Når tilbudsaviserne frister

More about the count in supermarket flyers

• The count is based on 5,063 food offers and 854 alcohol offers in 48 supermarket flyers from eight nationwide grocery chains in the summer and autumn of 2024.

• It shows that unhealthy foods, ready meals, and takeaway make up on average 37 percent of all offers, while alcohol accounts for 9 percent. In total, 46 percent of the offers are therefore unhealthy.

• There are large differences between chains. In two of them, more than every fifth offer is for alcohol.