By Fionnula Hainey

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Supermarkets in the UK are being urged to make major changes to their loyalty schemes to allow shoppers aged 16 and 17 to benefit from money-saving deals. The Co-op and charity Barnardo’s are calling on retailers to ensure younger shoppers have access to the same discounts that others get through loyalty cards. Supermarkets tend to only offer loyalty deals to shoppers who are over the age of 18, which means many younger shoppers are missing out on lower prices. According to the Co-op, it is the only national UK food retailer to offer 16 and 17-year-olds independent access to savings as part of its loyalty programme. The retailer said that young people could save an average of £60 a year by signing up to its membership programme, with recent data from the its members showing that the lunchtime meal deal was the most popular purchase for younger shoppers. Last year, Barnardo’s and the Co-op released a report highlighting the impact that access to food has on a young person’s wellbeing. The report urged the government to make “impactful” changes and recommended that retailers consider how 16 and 17-year-olds could buy discounted food. It suggested retailers could amend the terms of retail discount schemes to include teen shoppers, or introduce other discounts specifically for young shoppers. The report also included Co-op member data that suggested 97 per cent of Co-op members aged 16 to 25 believed that retailers should look at ways of increasing access to affordable food for young people, particularly as they become more independent. Co-op recently sent a joint letter with Barnardo’s and consumer group Which? to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ask for support in making sure that 16 and 17-year-olds are no longer excluded from food retail discounts. Rachel Halter, director of membership at the Co-op, said: “We see first-hand the volume of young people that come into our stores to buy food and drink, 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.” Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “Our research with Co-op found that nearly one in four secondary and college-aged students was struggling to access healthy food in their communities. “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, who 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, 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.”