Start Date: March 2016

ID #: CAS035

Organization: NYU School of Medicine

Project Lead: Brian Elbel, PhD, MPH

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This study aims to analyze supermarket retail practices and identify retailers’ motivators for and barriers to promoting healthy products. The research team will engage in semi-structured and qualitative interviews with 16-20 supermarket managers (or key decision-makers), at least 10 of which will be in New York City and 6 in rural areas in New York State, to understand decision-making factors that affect product sales, and examine the conditions under which they would change their retail practices. The interviews will accomplish four goals: 1) catalogue the 4 Ps (product selection, promotion, placement, and pricing) and retailing mix strategies (e.g., personnel, presentation approaches) used by the supermarkets; 2) identify the motivations for using these strategies; 3) identify external barriers to promoting healthy products; and 4) explore possible conditions under which retailers would alter their strategies. Additionally, the research team will attempt to identify store chain headquarters or food industry representatives (e.g., PepsiCo, Frito Lay) that may be willing to participate in slightly modified interviews about the conditions under which they would consider altering marketing strategies to promote healthier products.

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