Tesco proclaims MAJOR change to 93 of its superstores

Tesco has announced a major change across its superstores – and the first of its kind move could be permanent.

The British merchandise and grocery store will roll out perimenopause and menopause-friendly aisles in 93 of its ‘large’ UK stores, in a bid to ’empower women with more choices’.

The aisles will exclusively feature perimenopause and menopause products, which the chain hopes will support women in locating and identifying the products they need to treat and manage symptoms.

The supermarket is expected to stock a range of products across several categories, including nutrition, haircare, skincare, sexual wellness and digestive health. 

While a specific date for the launch is yet to be announced, it follows a successful trial carried out by Tesco in 2024 which saw dedicated menopause sections added to 200 of its stores.

According to Tesco’s website, many of the brands featured in last year’s display included Vitabiotics vitamins, Nivea, Olay, Simple skincare products, Tena and Always products – with speculation mounting that they could return in this year’s official rollout.

The supermarket is set to be the first in the UK to introduce menopause-only regions to its stores and instantly announce that it will be permanent.

The retailer has joined forces with British company, GenM, a collective of labels, retailers and manufacturers dedicated to empowering menopause brands.

Tesco has announced a major change across its superstores – and the first of its kind move could be permanent (Stock image)

Together, Tesco and GenM will enforce the ‘M-tick’, the world’s first universal shopping symbol to signpost menopause-friendly products, which will be clearly visible on products, both in Tesco stores and online, states Tesco.

Tesco’s Category Director for Health and Wellness, Tom Lye, said the supermarket is ‘delighted’ to unveil the rare initiative.

‘We are delighted to be continuing our work with GenM to support our customers and colleagues going through the menopause’ said Tom.

‘Following a successful trial last year, we hope that having these permanent menopause-friendly bays in 93 of our large stores will provide reassurance and education’.

The collaboration will ensure the signposting of ‘safer’ products for customers going through menopause or perimenopause, as well as ones that will ease symptoms, explained the executive.

GenM’s co-founder and CEO, Heather Jackson, added: ‘What’s particularly exciting about the launch is that Tesco will stock a broad range of products across several different categories, from nutrition, haircare and skincare to sexual wellness and digestive health.

‘This showcases our joint commitment to supporting women across the breadth of the 48 menopause signs, and means we are empowering women with choice for her to manage her menopause, her way’.

She added that the move is a ‘milestone’ for 15.5million women in menopause that are yet to be ‘understood or served as they deserve’.

The British merchandise and grocery store will roll out perimenopause and menopause-friendly aisles in 93 of its ‘large’ UK stores (Stock image)

Tesco is expected to stock a range of products across several categories, including nutrition, haircare, skincare, sexual wellness and digestive health

‘The very first permanent in-store designated space for MTick-certified products is a huge step forward for empowering women to have a better-lived experience of menopause and transforming how they search, source and shop for product solutions’ Heather concluded.

The news comes as doctors have revealed the common symptoms that could be a sign of the perimenopause.

The perimenopause is the stage before the menopause. During this time your hormones start to change but your periods have not yet stopped for good, according to Bupa.

Perimenopause is associated with up to 34 symptoms and typically starts in your mid-40s, but according to some experts it could start much earlier.

According to the NHS, perimenopause is signified by irregular periods, but women may also experience joint pain, low libido, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, heart palpitations, sensitive teeth, mood swings and low self esteem, among others.

The supermarket is set to be the first in the UK to introduce menopause-only regions to its stores and instantly announce that it will be permanent

Together, Tesco and GenM will enforce the ‘M-tick’, the world’s first universal shopping symbol to signpost menopause-friendly products, which will be clearly visible on products, both in Tesco stores and online

And speaking to FEMAIL, doctors have revealed that fatigue, anxiety and brain fog are all symptoms of the perimenopause, which in rare cases can begin in a woman’s 30s.

Doctor Harriet Connell, a Westbury menopause specialist at Health and Her, says perimenopause is ‘the transition period leading up to menopause, typically lasting several years’.

During that time, the body’s production of estrogen and progesterone (hormones that regulate periods and pregnancy) become irregular, causing a variety of physical and emotional symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety and brain fog, (the ‘F.A.B.’ symptoms), she explained.

Dr Connell said: ‘These can be some of the earliest and most challenging symptoms of perimenopause. These symptoms often impact daily functioning more than the classic hot flushes or menstrual changes and can appear years before those “late perimenopausal”’.

In order to understand perimenopause and when it strikes, it is vital to comprehend its next and final stage, menopause. While perimenopause starts first and invokes sporadic periods, menopause causes menstruation to stop indefinitely.

Doctor Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph in London, told FEMAIL that, for most women, menopause typically occurs around the age of 51.

She said: ‘Menopause is the time of life when a woman’s periods stop and can be diagnosed when it’s been 12 consecutive months since the last period and typically occurs around the age of 51’.

Menopause is associated with symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness, and its arrival often signifies the end of a woman’s ability to conceive naturally.