A mandatory healthy checkout policy in Perris, California increased nutritious products displayed near registers by 37% compared to stores without the law, according to a 2026 study analyzing 65,271 product displays. Healthy beverages more than doubled from 6% to 18% of checkout drink options, and 100% fruit juice tripled from 0.7% to 1.7%. However, unhealthy snacks like candy and salty chips remained available, and improvements were smaller outside the 6-foot zone around registers.
In January 2024, Perris, California passed a law requiring stores to stock healthier foods and drinks near checkout registers. Researchers compared what products were displayed in Perris stores before and after the law, versus stores in other cities without the rule. They found that healthy products near registers increased by 37%, with especially big jumps in healthier drinks. However, unhealthy snacks like candy and salty chips didn’t disappear from checkout areas. The study shows that these policies can work, but their success depends on how they’re designed and how strictly stores follow them.
Key Statistics
A 2026 study of 65,271 product displays in Perris, California found that healthy checkout products increased from 50% to 67% within 6 feet of registers, a 37% relative improvement compared to stores without the policy.
According to research reviewed by Gram, healthy beverages at checkout registers in Perris increased 141% relative to comparison cities, jumping from 6% to 18% of all beverage options within 6 feet of the register.
A natural experiment analyzing Perris’ healthy checkout law found that 100% fruit juice displays increased 200% relative to comparison cities, rising from 0.7% to 1.7% of beverage facings near registers.
The 2026 Perris study showed that unhealthy products like candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, and salty snacks did not significantly decrease in the 6-foot checkout zone despite the policy, indicating stores added healthy options without removing junk food.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether a new law in Perris, California that requires healthier products at store checkouts actually changes what products stores display there
- Who participated: Researchers looked at 65,271 different product displays across 13 Perris stores that had to follow the new law and 51 comparison stores in other cities without the law. They collected data in June 2023 before the law started and again in June 2024, six months after it began.
- Key finding: Healthy products displayed within 6 feet of checkout registers increased from 50% to 67% in Perris stores, which was a 37% bigger improvement than in comparison cities. Healthy drink options more than doubled, jumping from 6% to 18% of beverages near registers.
- What it means for you: If you shop in Perris, you’ll see more nutritious options when you reach the checkout line. However, unhealthy snacks like candy and salty chips are still there, so the policy helps but doesn’t eliminate junk food choices. Other cities considering similar laws should pay attention to how they design the rules to make them work best.
The Research Details
Researchers used what’s called a natural experiment, which means they studied a real-world policy change rather than creating one in a lab. They collected detailed information about every product displayed at checkout in Perris stores and comparison stores in other cities at two time points: June 2023 (before the law) and June 2024 (after the law started). They counted 65,271 individual product displays, or facings, which is how many times each product appears where customers can see and grab it.
The Perris law only applies to products within 6 feet of the register, so researchers looked at three zones: products within 6 feet, products beyond 6 feet, and the entire checkout area. They compared how many products met the law’s nutrition standards in each zone. They also compared Perris stores to 51 matched stores in other cities that didn’t have this law, which helped them figure out what changes were caused by the policy versus what might have happened anyway.
This research approach is important because it shows what actually happens in real stores when policies change, rather than just predicting what might happen. The researchers carefully matched comparison stores to Perris stores so they could fairly compare the results. By looking at different zones around the register, they could see exactly where the policy had the most impact.
This study has several strengths: it used a large sample of over 65,000 product displays, it compared Perris to matched stores in other cities, and it collected data before and after the policy. However, the study has one important limitation that readers should know about. The researchers assumed that Perris stores and comparison stores would have followed similar trends if the policy hadn’t existed, but they couldn’t actually verify this assumption. If this assumption wasn’t true, the results could be biased. The study also only looked at what stores displayed, not whether customers actually bought healthier products or changed their eating habits.
What the Results Show
The Perris healthy checkout law significantly improved the products displayed near registers. Within 6 feet of the register, the percentage of products meeting the law’s nutrition standards jumped from 50% to 67%, a 37% relative increase compared to stores in other cities. This means that if you looked at 100 products near a Perris register after the law, about 17 more of them would meet nutrition standards than before.
The biggest changes happened with beverages. Healthy drink options more than doubled, increasing from 6% to 18% of all beverages near registers, which represents a 141% relative increase. Even more dramatic, 100% fruit juice went from appearing in just 0.7% of beverage spots to 1.7%, a 200% relative increase. This shows that stores responded to the law by stocking more nutritious drink choices where customers are most likely to grab something at the last minute.
However, the law’s impact was much smaller in other parts of the checkout area. When researchers looked at products more than 6 feet from the register, the improvements were not statistically significant. When they looked at the entire checkout area, the improvement was smaller (31% relative increase) compared to the 37% increase in the 6-foot zone. This suggests that stores mostly complied with the law in the specific area it targeted but didn’t make broader changes to their checkout displays.
An important finding is what didn’t change. Despite the law, unhealthy products like candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, and other sweets didn’t significantly decrease in the 6-foot zone. This means stores added more healthy options but didn’t remove unhealthy ones. They essentially expanded their checkout displays to include both types of products. This is important because it shows the law increased healthy choices without eliminating tempting junk food options.
Gram Research analysis shows this is the first real-world study measuring the actual impact of Perris’ healthy checkout policy. Two other places have similar laws: Berkeley, California (which applies to the entire checkout area) and England (also entire checkout). This study is the first to compare different policy designs. The findings suggest that how you design the policy matters. Perris’ narrower approach (6-foot zone) worked well for that specific area but didn’t change the rest of checkout. This is different from Berkeley and England’s approach of applying rules to the entire checkout.
The study has several limitations readers should understand. First, researchers assumed that Perris stores and comparison stores would have naturally followed the same trends if the policy didn’t exist, but they couldn’t verify this. If stores in different cities were already changing their products differently, the results could be misleading. Second, the study only looked at what stores displayed, not what customers actually bought or ate. Stores might stock healthier products, but customers might still choose unhealthy options. Third, the study only followed stores for six months after the policy started. Longer-term effects might be different. Finally, the study couldn’t measure whether the policy actually improved people’s diets or health.
The Bottom Line
If you live in Perris or a city considering a similar law, expect to see more healthy options at checkout registers. This is a modest but meaningful change that makes nutritious choices more convenient. However, don’t expect unhealthy snacks to disappear. You’ll still need to make conscious choices to avoid candy and salty snacks at checkout. If you’re designing a healthy checkout policy, make sure it covers the entire checkout area, not just part of it, to maximize impact. The evidence suggests that narrow policies improve their specific zone but don’t change shopping behavior more broadly.
This research matters most for people who shop in Perris or other cities considering healthy checkout laws. It’s also important for policymakers, grocery store managers, and public health officials deciding whether to implement these policies. Parents might appreciate knowing that their kids will see more healthy drink options at checkout. However, this study doesn’t directly apply to people in cities without these policies, though it provides useful information for advocates pushing for similar laws.
The study measured changes six months after the policy started. Stores made most of their changes fairly quickly, suggesting that if your city passes a similar law, you’d see differences within months, not years. However, whether these changes actually improve people’s eating habits and health would take longer to measure and wasn’t studied here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do healthy checkout policies actually make people buy healthier food?
This study shows stores stocked more healthy products after the policy, but it didn’t measure whether customers actually bought them or changed their eating habits. More research is needed to know if these policies improve what people actually eat.
How much did healthy drinks increase at checkout after the Perris law?
Healthy beverages jumped from 6% to 18% of checkout drinks in Perris stores, more than doubling compared to stores without the policy. 100% fruit juice increased even more dramatically, from 0.7% to 1.7% of beverage options.
Did the healthy checkout policy remove candy and junk food from registers?
No. The policy increased healthy options but didn’t significantly reduce candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, or other unhealthy products. Stores added more healthy choices without removing tempting junk food.
How long did it take stores to change their checkout displays after the law?
The study measured changes six months after the policy started in January 2024. Most improvements appeared within this timeframe, suggesting stores made changes fairly quickly once the law took effect.
Does the healthy checkout policy work for the entire store or just near registers?
The Perris policy only applies to products within 6 feet of registers, and that’s where it worked best. Changes were much smaller beyond 6 feet and across the entire checkout area, showing the policy’s impact depends on its specific design.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track your checkout purchases weekly by photographing your receipt or logging items. Note how many healthy versus unhealthy items you bought at checkout. Set a goal to increase healthy checkout purchases by 20% over a month.
- Use the app to set a reminder before shopping: ‘Check out with one healthy item from the register.’ When you reach checkout, deliberately select one compliant item (like 100% juice or water) instead of candy or salty snacks. Log your choice in the app.
- Create a monthly dashboard tracking your checkout purchases. Compare your healthy versus unhealthy checkout choices month-to-month. Share your progress with an accountability partner through the app to maintain motivation.
This study shows what products stores displayed after a healthy checkout policy, not whether the policy actually improved people’s diets or health. The research only measured changes in six months, so longer-term effects are unknown. Individual results may vary based on personal shopping habits and choices. Consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian for personalized nutrition advice. This article is for informational purposes and should not replace professional medical or nutritional guidance.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.