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Features in Grocery Stores that Motivate Shoppers to Buy Healthier Foods, ConsumerStyles 2014

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Abstract

We examined nine features in grocery stores shoppers reported motivated them to purchase more healthful foods in the past month. Features were compiled from common supermarket practices for each of the 4 Ps of marketing: pricing, placement, promotion, and product. We examined percentages of the features overall and by shopping frequency using Chi square tests from a 2014 cross sectional web-based health attitudes and behaviors survey, ConsumerStyles. The survey was fielded from June to July in 2014. Participants were part of a market research consumer panel that were randomly recruited by probability-based sampling using address-based sampling methods to achieve a sample representative of the U.S. population. Data from 4242 adults ages 18 and older were analyzed. About 44 % of respondents indicated at least one feature motivated them to purchase more healthful foods. Top choices included in-store coupons or specials (20.1 %), availability of convenient, ready-to-eat more healthful foods (18.8 %), product labels or advertising on packages (15.2 %), and labels or signs on shelves that highlighted more healthful options (14.6 %). Frequent shoppers reported being motivated to purchase more healthful foods by in-store tastings/recipe demonstrations and coupons/specials more often than infrequent shoppers. Enhancing the visibility and appeal of more healthful food items in grocery stores may help improve dietary choices in some populations but additional research is needed to identify the most effective strategies for interventions.

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Acknowledgments

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This research received no specific Grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE MS F-77, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Latetia V. Moore

  2. Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, Omaha, NE, USA

    Courtney A. Pinard & Amy L. Yaroch

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  1. Latetia V. Moore
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  2. Courtney A. Pinard
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  3. Amy L. Yaroch
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Correspondence to Latetia V. Moore.

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Moore, L.V., Pinard, C.A. & Yaroch, A.L. Features in Grocery Stores that Motivate Shoppers to Buy Healthier Foods, ConsumerStyles 2014. J Community Health 41, 812–817 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-016-0158-x

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