Published: March 2021

ID #: CAS051

Journal: Ecol Food Nutr

Authors: Daniel L, Hinman SJ, Harper K, Ali SH, Gu Y, Poirier L, Park R, Trujillo A, Gittelsohn J

See more related research

Share


Introducing new grocery stores into low-income communities has been a focus of policy efforts to improve the food environment. Yet, evidence of the impact of this strategy on diet and health outcomes is inconsistent. In Baltimore, a not-for-profit grocery store was opened by the Salvation Army in March 2018 with the goal of improving healthy food access. Unfortunately, the store has so far failed to attract sufficient customers. This study explored the reasons for low usage from the perspective of community members and staff members. A qualitative, formative research study was conducted at the store, which included semi-structured interviews (n = 21), direct observations (n = 8), and sociodemographic surveys (n = 152). Reasons for low store usage included high prices, confusion regarding the nature of the store, and lack of product variety. Reducing prices, increasing community engagement, and using promotional materials were all recommended strategies to increase usage. The Salvation Army is interested in potentially opening other nonprofit grocery stores. The results of this study will be used to help the Salvation Army refine their nonprofit grocery store model and in their future planning.

Read the Article

Focus Area: Food Retail

Resource Type: Journal Article

State: Maryland

Keyword: Supermarket

Related Research

March 2019

Impact of an Innovative Pricing Manipulation Study on Sales & Purchasing in a Low-Income Urban Community Store

This project will expand an existing study and test different pricing manipulation strategies for both healthy and unhealthy foods and accompanying promotional strategies in a community grocery store. The research team will introduce a series of pricing manipulation strategies on a monthly basis. For each food item, they will identify two healthy and two unhealthy More

April 2026

Policy Priorities and Research Needs for Advancing Healthy Eating: A 2026-2027 Research Agenda for U.S. Children and Adolescents

Given recent changes to nutrition policies and programs and the food environment landscape, the need for new evidence on how these changes impact nutrition, health, and food access is greater than ever. HER has also published a research agenda intended to provide a blueprint for immediate (i.e., 12-18 month) research needs to inform strategies to More

November 2025

The implications of banning synthetic food dyes on the food purchase quality of families with children

This study examines how removing synthetic dyes from the food supply impacts the nutritional quality of grocery purchases among families with children, focusing on the 7 dyes targeted by FDA for phase-out by the end of 2026 (some of which are required (i.e., red dye #3), while the removal of others are voluntary). Aim 1 More