The decision is the latest attempt to protect children's eyes from the semi-naked pictures of models and celebrities that adorn the front of titles such as Nuts, Zoo, FHM and Loaded.
Last summer, Sainsbury's and Tesco both implemented a policy to move the offending magazines to the top of their racks, so that effectively only the masthead could be seen. Sainsbury's also placed the magazines on the opposite side of its planogram to children's magazines.
But the retailer has now decided to take the next step and is introducing shrouds because of the lower magazine shelving in its smaller outlets and Local stores.
The shrouds mean Sainsbury's does not have to introduce higher shelving or devote more space to keep the magazines away from the rest of its publications. The retailer is to roll the magazine shrouds out across its entire portfolio.
A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: 'Modesty shrouds are an ideal solution for us, because we are able to minimise customer complaints while still ensuring that we retain customer choice.'
It is understood that some grocers are considering promoting lads' magazines during the World Cup to drive sales in what could be viewed as an about-turn. Sainsbury's said it had no plans to follow such a strategy.
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