As 16-year-olds get ready start further education, the Co-op Group and Barnardo’s are calling on food retailers with loyalty schemes to review their polices and unlock further savings for young people to help them with cost-of-living pressures during their studies.
The Group says it is the only national UK food retailer to offer 16 and 17-year-olds independent access to saving benefits as part of its membership proposition, including member pricing, personalised money-saving offers, member games and discount rewards in store.
Under 16s are also eligible to become junior members, with permission from a parent or guardian.
Other food retailers with loyalty schemes, only offer exclusive additional saving benefits to shoppers who are over 18 – which, says the Group, is “denying millions of young people access to loyalty value in their stores”.
The Group gives the example of its lunchtime meal deal, saying this is often purchased as a value lunch option by students. Its membership discount can save 16 and 17-year-olds on average £60 a year – a saving not currently accessible to them in some other retailers.
Additionally, research from the Group has uncovered that 73% of 16 and 17-year-olds have chosen not to buy food or drink products from a retailer due to higher prices when not using a loyalty card.
In 2024, Barnardo’s – in partnership with the Group – released a policy report, Recipe for Success, highlighting the importance of access to food for young people’s wellbeing. The report set out several recommendations to the government and food retailers, including looking at ways for 16 and 17-year-olds to access discounted food by amending the terms of their retail discount schemes or considering the introduction of other discounts.
Related: Co-op Group study highlights food crisis facing Britain’s youth
The report also included Co-op member data showing that 97% of Co-op members aged 16-25 believe retailers should look at ways of increasing access to affordable food for young people, particularly as they become more independent.
A year after this report’s release, UK food retailers still have not changed how under-18s access loyalty value, says the Group.
Recently, the Group sent a joint letter – with Barnardo’s and Which? – taking the secretary for environment, food and rural affairs for support in making sure that 16 and 17-year-olds are no longer excluded from food retail discounts.
“We see first hand the volume of young people that come into our stores to buy food and drink,” said the Group’s membership director Rachel Halter, “a number which increases during term times, as they depend on our stores during their studies.
“I feel strongly that opening access to value for young people is an important issue, one we’ve been campaigning on with Barnardo’s for more than 12 months and we’re yet to see any changes. It seems wrong to me that we are close to allowing 16-year-olds the ability to vote, yet they can’t access lower price food and offers to save money when shopping from many retailers. Allowing 16 and 17-year-olds membership delivers in a truly co-operative way, providing both economic and social value to the individuals and the community.”
The issue is particularly important for young people who live independently or are classed as young carers.
“Our research with Co-op found that nearly one in four secondary and college-aged students were struggling to access healthy food in their communities,” said Barnardo’s CEO Lynn Perry. “It means too many young people haven’t got access to the affordable and nutritious food that will help them thrive, both now and into adulthood.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Co-op on this important issue, supporting positive futures for young people. With back-to-school season upon us, we urge all supermarkets to make a fresh start and expand their retail discount schemes to 16- and 17-year-olds.”
Ola Anretioloaluwa, a 20-year-old university student from London, is a member of the Co-op and Barnardo’s Youth Advisory Group, and has been working alongside both organisations to raise awareness of this issue. She said: “It isn’t fair that young people are shut out of discounts and offers just because of their age. The cost-of-living crisis is hitting everyone hard, and young people aren’t excluded from that – so why should they be excluded from discounts?”
The joint call for retailers to unlock loyalty value for young people follows the Group’s new social value strategy announcement last month, where it pledged to deliver social value across every part of its business.
