The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) is to provide a suite of officially sanctioned Challenge 25 artwork for suppliers, retailers and delivery companies involved in the legitimate supply of age-restricted bladed items such as kitchen knives and DIY and garden tools. 

The collateral has all been approved by The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), which created the original Challenge 25 concept for use in the retail of alcoholic drinks, and the Met Police’s ‘Knife Crime Steering Group’.

BHETA’s move comes ahead of the forthcoming new Offensive Weapons Act and aims to make it easier for the industry to comply with the new rules and uphold the age restrictions which apply, while safeguarding legitimate purchase of affected products.

BHETA’s Challenge 25 collateral, which is available through the trade association’s member services team includes artwork for labels, posters, shelf barkers and badges for use in the retail environment and, for the first time, artwork for supplier packaging and labels for outer cartons used in home delivery.  The Challenge 25 message displayed in red and black makes it clear that under 25s must now expect to be challenged to prove their age.  

BHETA’s marketing manager, Stephen Richardson who has led BHETA’s dialogue with both the WSTA and the Metropolitan Police to ensure not only the extension of Challenge 25, but also that the graphics are consistent industry-wide, commented: “The original Challenge 25 concept was all about making in store enforcement of age restriction easier for retail staff and this remains a really important objective.  BHETA has extended the initiative, however, to include supplier packaging for the first time; and to include labels for outer packaging to remind delivery companies of their age restriction responsibilities regarding parcels.”

The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA), which represents many of the leading UK suppliers of housewares, home improvement and garden products created a consultative taskforce comprising most of the top retailers and suppliers of bladed items, following lobbying initiatives in 2018. 

The taskforce objective is to promote and enable safe and responsible retailing in the sector and its remit covers product design, packaging, instore security, merchandising and checkout procedure, consumer education and staff training.

Participants in the BHETA campaign include John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Dunelm, Steamer Trading, T K Maxx, Elys of Wimbledon, Harts of Stur, Taylor’s Eye Witness, Amefa, Fiskars, Meyer, Haus, Burton McCall, Kuhn Rikon, Rayware and Robert Welch.  BHETA has been working with Scotland Yard on the project since summer 2019.