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The impact of a pricing and communications intervention on stocking and sales of healthier foods in small Baltimore City food stores
Author(s) -
Budd Nadine,
Kharmats Anna,
Jeffries Jayne K,
JonesSmith Jessica,
Gittelsohn Joel
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.674.33
Subject(s) - signage , stocking , randomized controlled trial , psychological intervention , stock (firearms) , intervention (counseling) , medicine , environmental health , business , advertising , zoology , geography , biology , surgery , archaeology , psychiatry
Improving food environments and increasing access to healthy foods has been identified as a key strategy for obesity prevention and reduction. B'More Healthy Retail Rewards was a 6‐month factorial randomized controlled trial that tested the impact of a communications and pricing intervention on the stock and sales of healthier foods, including drinks, staple foods, and snacks, at multiple levels of the local food system. Twenty‐four small food stores in low‐income areas of Baltimore City were randomized to one of four treatment groups: pricing only (G1), communications only (G2), combined pricing and communications (G3), and control (G4). Pricing stores (n=12) received a 10–30% discount on promoted foods from their local wholesaler. Communications stores (n=12) received signage, small refrigerators, and other materials to help increase stock and sales of promoted foods. Regression‐based difference‐in‐difference models using linear generalized estimating equations were used to estimate treatment effects from baseline to post‐intervention (Δ outcome for treatment group ‐Δ outcome for control). Intervention effects were observed for stocking scores of promoted foods for all treatment groups verses control group, with the greatest effects seen among the two pricing interventions (G1: β=3.6, 95% CI 1.3–5.9; G2: β=2.5, 95% CI 0.7–4.3; G3: β=3.5, 95% CI 0.8–6.2). There was a significant treatment effect for daily unit sales of healthy snacks for the combined pricing and communications intervention (β=6.4, 95% CI 0.9–11.9) versus control, but not for other intervention groups. These findings suggest that store‐directed pricing interventions are most effective in motivating store owners to stock healthier foods, with additional integration of targeted communication strategies further motivating customers to purchase these foods. Support or Funding Information Funding was received by National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (Grant #1R21HL102812‐01A1), the Abell foundation, and Johns Hopkins Global Obesity Prevention Center.