This article examines the amount and type of food and beverage product packaging-related marketing observed in retail food stores where mothers of young children in the cities of Champaign and Urbana, Ill., said they commonly shop. It assesses differences between marketing practices by store type, store acceptance of Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance program benefits, and marketing claims. Researchers found that stores that accepted WIC and convenience stores had higher frequencies of marketing compared with non-WIC and grocery stores. Salty snacks and soda had the highest frequency of marketing claims (83.3%), while fruits and vegetables had the lowest frequency (33.3%). Convenience stores were more likely to have marketing claims for available items compared to grocery stores. Nutrition claims were the most common marketing claim across all food items, followed by taste, suggested use, and convenience. Cartoon or spokes-characters were observed as marketing techniques more often than giveaways or television and movie tie-ins, and were used most often to promote candy.
Food Marketing Targeting Youth and Families: What Do We Know About Stores Where Moms Actually Shop?
Published: August 2013
ID #: 66952
Journal: J Environ Public Health
Authors: Grigsby-Toussaint DS, Rooney MR
Age Groups: Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5), Adults (ages 18 and older)
Focus Areas: Food & Beverage Marketing, Food Access
Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic
Resource Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Corner store, Food advertising, Food outlet, Front-of-package labeling, Fruits and vegetables, Grocery store, In-store marketing, Media, Snacks, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Supermarket, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
State: Illinois
Related Research
September 2011
Observations of Marketing on Food Packaging Targeted to Youth in Retail Food Stores
This paper examines the extent to which foods and beverages marketed to youth on the internet and television are available and marketed in retail food stores. Researchers assessed food marketing strategies in convenience/corner and grocery stores and found that 82% of stores assessed carried items marketed to youth on television … More
November 2009
Examining Food Marketing and Promotion to Children in the Retail Food Store Environment
Food marketing and advertising may be important determinants of childhood obesity. However, empirical attention has focused on television as a vehicle of marketing to children in the home, with limited attention to the broader nutrition environment in which families are embedded. This study will address this gap in the literature … More
February 2016
Minimum Stocking Levels and Marketing Strategies of Healthful Foods for Small Retail Food Stores
The healthfulness of foods and beverages found in retail food stores differs widely across the United States, both by location of the store as well as by store type. Some communities have limited access to stores that carry healthful staple foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain-rich foods, and … More