The Click & Collect model is a three-step process for placing a WIC grocery order online, then picking it up and paying for it at the store. This model for online ordering could be an opportunity, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, to address certain challenges to WIC shopping and benefit redemption. A pilot study in Tennessee found that this online ordering model was feasible and acceptable to both WIC participants and WIC vendor staff, as well as sustainable and scalable. This brief presents findings from the study and suggestions from WIC participants and grocery retailer staff to improve the Click & Collect model. It describes opportunities for online ordering to address challenges to WIC shopping and benefit redemption, and issues for researchers and retailers to consider when implementing WIC online ordering in their community.
Published: June 2021
Publisher: Healthy Eating Research
Authors: Zimmer MC, Kovalsky E, Anderson Steeves E
Keywords: Grocery store, Supermarket, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Focus Area: Nutrition Policy & Programs
Age Groups: Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Resource Type: Research Brief
State: Tennessee
Related Research
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 MoreNovember 2025
Informing equitable implementation of SNAP food restriction waivers
SNAP is the largest federally funded nutrition assistance program in the U.S., providing support to more than 40 million Americans. This study aims to provide tangible information, insights, and resources grounded in SNAP participants’ preferences and feedback to support the implementation and communication of SNAP Food Restriction waivers, minimizing barriers to SNAP participation and benefit MoreNovember 2025