A growing number of consumers are ordering groceries online and picking them up in-store (OOPIS) to limit their exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Although OOPIS has been widely adopted, WIC participants in most states are unable to use OOPIS to redeem their WIC benefits due to significant legal barriers. To overcome these barriers, Prime Time Nutrition (PTN) stores in Oklahoma innovatively adopted a modified OOPIS model for WIC participants. This project aims to evaluate WIC participants’ adoption of the OOPIS model in Oklahoma and the impact of OOPIS on WIC participants’ benefit redemption behaviors. To achieve this goal, the research team will pursue two specific aims: 1) To examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the adoption of the OOPIS model among WIC participants in Oklahoma; and 2) To examine how OOPIS affects Oklahoma WIC participants’ redemption behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online Ordering and Curbside Pick‑up for WIC Participants during the COVID‑19 Pandemic
Related Research
August 2021
Evaluating the implementation and impact of a healthier checkout programme at a regional convenience store chain
This study aimed to test the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a healthier checkout pilot study in a convenience store chain in New Hampshire. A quasi-experimental study was conducted comparing a 3-month ‘healthier checkouts’ intervention in ten convenience stores which stocked eight healthier items in the checkout space and ten … More
July 2021
Promoting Equitable Expansion of the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot
The USDA Online Purchasing Pilot, which allows SNAP participants to shop and pay for groceries online, rapidly expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020 to March 2021, the number of participating states increased from 5 to 47. This brief assesses whether the Pilot promotes healthy food access (using the … More
July 2021
Acceptability, Preference, and No-Show Rates for In-Person and Phone-Based Consultations at Nine WIC Centers in New York City Before and During COVID-19
Access to WIC benefits typically requires an in-person visit to a WIC center, however this became a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic due to recommendations for social distancing to minimize and prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, in-person requirements were removed for all visits, except first time … More