The Co-operative Group will no longer stock lads' mags Front, Nuts and Zoo in more than 4000 stores from today, after the magazine's publishers refused the Co-operative Retail Trading Group's demands to cover up their suggestive covers.
The cover-up followed 'growing concern from members, customers and colleagues over exposure of children to the overt sexual images on the front of these covers which, despite the retailer's best efforts, are still sometimes visible in-store'.
The only title to agree to the demands made by CRTG, the buying group for the 18 co-op societies across the UK, was Loaded, which will now place its magazines in so-called 'modesty bags' from its 18 September issue onwards.
Commenting on the move, the Co-op Group's head of retail, Steve Murells, said "As a community-based retailer, we have listened to and acted upon the concerns of our customers and members, many of whom said they objected to their children being able to see overt sexual images in our stores."
"We believe individual, sealed modesty bags are the most effective way of addressing these concerns, so we will no longer be stocking the titles that have failed to meet our request."
He added, "This action will make our stores more attractive to families with young children, by creating a more family-friendly shopping environment."
After the CRTG's original July announcement, Tesco stated that it would no longer sell lads' mags to under 18s.
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
