Food and beverages sold in American convenience stores tend to be highly processed, high-calorie and low-nutrient. In a recent report, experts recommend that convenience stores stock more nutritious foods and market them more strategically. Credit: Daniel X. O'Neil, Flickr. Cropped and reprinted with permission under the Creative Commons license.
Published March 22, 2016, last updated on April 20, 2016 under Research News
In many low-income and rural communities across the United States, access to stores that sell healthy foods—fruits and vegetables, whole grain-rich foods and low-fat dairy products—is limited. These communities tend to have fewer grocery stores and more small food retailers such as convenience stores that primarily sell highly processed, high-calorie and low-nutrient beverages and foods.
This shortage of nutritious food sources is detrimental to the health of the community members, contributing to conditions such as obesity and diabetes. For example, children living in low-income neighborhoods are 20 to 60 percent more likely to be obese or overweight than children living in high socioeconomic status neighborhoods and healthier overall environments.
But it turns out that lack of access is only part of the story. In fact, how the food is presented and marketed to consumers plays a significant role in the purchasing and consumption of healthy foods.
Expert Panel Addresses Healthy Food Inventory and Consumer Decision-Making
These topics are addressed in a report released last month by Healthy Eating Research, a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In the report, a panel of experts issued recommendations on stocking and marketing healthy foods in small retail food stores such as convenience stores and gas stations. Mary Story, professor of community and family medicine and global health, and Megan Lott, associate in research at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), convened the panel.
The report is aimed at helping local, state and federal efforts to improve the healthfulness of food and beverages sold in small retail food stores and may be used to inform policies for stores participating in ongoing federal nutrition programs.
“Many low-income and communities of color as well as rural areas in the United States are food deserts,” said Story. “We need to increase access to affordable, nutritious, high-quality healthy foods in order to reduce health disparities, and this report provides some concrete strategies to help point us in the right direction.”
Dietary Guidelines Serve as Framework for Stocking Recommendations
The stocking levels established by the panel are structured around food categories and nutrition guidelines in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and each food category (e.g., fruits and vegetables, meats and proteins) has qualifying nutrition or size standards. The report outlines two stocking levels, basic and preferred. For example, one basic guideline is that stores consistently stock four varieties of qualifying fruits, up to two of which may be canned or frozen; the corresponding preferred guideline is six varieties of qualifying fruits, up to three of which may be canned or frozen.
Report Identifies Placement, Price and Promotion Strategies
The panel’s recommended marketing strategies for small food retailers address three key marketing considerations: placement, price and promotion. They advise retailers to use at least one strategy from each of these categories. One sample strategy is to offer price promotions for complementary healthy foods and beverages through use of in-store signage and other media.
While the report suggests that a combination of different strategies is likely to yield better purchasing and consumption results, the panel notes that evidence on the specific amount and type of marketing needed to change healthy food purchasing decisions is limited.
Release of Report Coincides with New USDA Proposed Rule
Also in February, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a proposed rule intended to give Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increased access to healthy foods by requiring stores that accept SNAP to stock a wider range of food choices. The new requirements would align more closely with established nutritional standards than current guidelines for SNAP retailers, and the expert panel findings in the healthy food stocking and marketing report are consistent with—and build on—this proposed USDA rule.
The USDA is accepting comments on the proposed rule from the public through mid-April.
Increasing Healthy Food Purchasing and Consumption Is a Complex Venture
In the quest to encourage people to eat healthier, access to healthy foods and beverages is essential, and so is having the right mix of product, price, promotion and placement strategies. This report addresses these factors, but other barriers remain, including the time, knowledge and equipment required to plan and prepare nutritious meals. These obstacles can be particularly pronounced for people who work several jobs or who don’t have experience preparing healthy home-cooked meals.
Furthermore, initiatives to increase purchasing and consumption of healthier foods will need to take into consideration the needs of retailers as well as consumers. Programs or requirements that threaten customer loyalty and store profits are unlikely to succeed.
According to Lott, more research and creative, cross-disciplinary partnerships—such as public health practitioners working with economists—are needed in order to identify and implement effective solutions to this critical public health issue.
Learn More:
- Read the report
- Visit the Healthy Eating Research website
- Read and comment on the USDA proposed rule requiring SNAP-approved retailers to stock a wider range of healthy foods
