Report: Hy-Vee makes checkout lanes healthier

ALBERT LEA, Minn. — Among the best real estate in a supermarket is the checkout line, where customers usually can find shelves of candy, gum and other small items. But a supermarket in Albert Lea, Minn., is offering healthy choices to a captive audience, according to published reports.

The Albert Lea Tribune reported that the Hy-Vee store there has unveiled its Blue Zones checkout lane. Instead of junk food, the lane features granola bars, dried fruit, soy nuts and string cheese.

The store’s dietitian told the newspaper that sales of those products at the store had increased by an average of 42% since the lane’s introduction, saying it would be a good place for parents to send children looking for snacks.