Food marketing influences consumers’ preferences for and selection of marketed products. Although a substantial body of research has described food-marketing practices in brick-and-mortar stores, no research has examined food marketing in online grocery retail despite its growing importance as a source of food-at-home purchases. This study aimed to develop and apply a coding instrument to describe food marketing and the nutritional quality of marketed products in online grocery stores. Researchers conducted quantitative content analysis and review of product Nutrition Facts labels and ingredients lists to calculate nutrient density and level of processing using the NOVA classification system. Retailers commonly used product recommendations, search result ordering, branded website content, user-generated content, and social media engagement to market products online. Candy, sweets, and snacks made up the largest percentage of marketed products (17.3%), followed by fruit, vegetables, and legumes (16.7%). Most (62%) marketed products were of poor nutritional quality. Staple food categories such as fruits, vegetables, and grains were frequently marketed, particularly through price reductions and product recommendations. Although most marketed products are of poor nutritional quality, there is potential for marketing of staple food categories online that is not feasible in a brick-and-mortar store.
Published: April 2022
ID #: CAS052
Journal: J Acad Nutr Diet
Authors: Moran AJ, Headrick G, Perez C, Greatsinger A, Taillie LS, Zatz L, Bleich SN, Rimm EB, Khandpur N
Keywords: Digital marketing, Grocery store, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Focus Areas: Food Marketing, Food Retail
Resource Type: Journal Article
Related Research
December 2021
Content Analysis of Online Grocery Retail Policies and Practices Affecting Healthy Food Access
This study aimed to describe policies and practices of online grocery retailers that may affect healthy food access, including retailers participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing Pilot. This was a cross-sectional, quantitative content analysis of 21 online grocery retail websites from November 2019 to January 2020. Most retailers MoreDecember 2021
Content Analysis of Online Grocery Retail Policies and Practices Affecting Healthy Food Access
This study aimed to describe policies and practices of online grocery retailers that may affect healthy food access, including retailers participating in the US Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing Pilot. It used a cross-sectional, quantitative content analysis of 21 online grocery retail websites from November 2019 to January 2020. Most retailers MoreNovember 2020
Supermarkets in Cyberspace: A Conceptual Framework to Capture the Influence of Online Food Retail Environments on Consumer Behavior
The rapid increase in online shopping and the extension of online food purchase and delivery services to federal nutrition program participants highlight the need for a conceptual framework capturing the influence of online food retail environments on consumer behaviors. This study aims to develop such a conceptual framework. To achieve this, mixed methods were used, MoreApril 2019