Testing the impact of overt and covert ordering interventions on sustainable consumption choices: a randomised controlled trial

Food products have significant impacts on the environment over their life cycle. We investigated whether displaying products in ascending order of carbon footprint in an online supermarket environment can shift consumer choices towards more sustainable options. We examined whether the effect of the ordering intervention differs when the ordering is overt (information about the ordering is explicit), compared to when it is covert (participants not told about the ordering). We conducted a three-arm parallel-group randomised trial using 1842 online participants from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Participants shopped for a meal, choosing one product from each of six product categories in a simulated online supermarket. Six products were listed vertically on each product-category page. Products were randomly ordered for the control arm but ordered by carbon footprint in the covert and overt ordering arms. In the overt ordering arm, a statement was displayed at the top of each product page about the ordering of products. The primary outcome was whether one of the three most sustainable products was chosen in each product category. There was no effect of the covert ordering on the probability of choosing more sustainable products compared with the control arm (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.88-1.07, p = 0.533). Furthermore, we did not find evidence that the effects of the covert ordering and overt ordering differed (p = 0.594). Within the control condition, products in different positions were chosen with similar frequencies, suggesting that product positioning does not have an impact on choices. This may explain why re-ordering products had no effect. In the overt condition, only 19.5% of people correctly answered that the products were ordered according to sustainability in a follow-up question, suggesting that they didn't notice the statement. Results suggest that choices for grocery products might be too ingrained to be changed by subtle rearrangements of choice architecture like the ordering interventions, and highlight the difficulty of conveying information effectively to consumers in the online grocery shopping environment

Community-Based Efforts Aim to Improve the Food Environment within a Highly Obese Rural Appalachian County

Rural communities in Appalachia are displaying increased obesity prevalence, yet traditional interventions have not provided a broad enough impact to improve dietary consumption patterns. Therefore, expanding efforts that address the food environment and incorporate behavioral nudges through community-developed marketing strategies may be a viable mechanism to improve food and beverage choices within this unique population. This study installed shelf-wobblers across n = 5 gas stations in one rural Appalachian county in Kentucky. Smart Snacks were identified from store inventory lists utilizing the CDC Food Service Guideline for Federal Facilities calculator and were categorized into high-protein snacks, low-fat carbohydrate snacks, meal replacement snacks, and no-calorie beverages. NEMS-CS audits were conducted, and monthly sales data was collected at baseline and for six months thereafter for each store location. A difference-in-difference model was used, adjusting for total sales or total mean sales for each Smart Snack model to assess the percentage change within and between stores. Overall, percent change in mean sales and total sales across all stores resulted in a percentage increase of sales of Smart Snack items following wobbler installment. This study provides unique insight into how a community-driven approach to marketing can influence the sale of healthier food and beverage items

This or That?: A Study of Online Supermarket Interventions and Their Ability to Influence Healthy Food Choices

As obesity rates continue to rise in the United States, there is an increasing need for new ideas and solutions to combat this worrisome epidemic. This study targets the food purchase behavior of consumers by attempting to sway their food choices using various “nudges,” or alterations in choice architecture. Participants were exposed to various interventions that were applied to product images on a fake grocery store website. Participants that fit inclusion criteria of being 18 years or older were recruited through survey-taking groups found on Reddit and Facebook. After randomization into either the control or intervention group, participants took a Google Forms survey that included five different categories of food. The intervention group was exposed to five different interventions, each category of food receiving a single intervention. The control group was exposed to unaltered images. Responses to this survey were dichotomized and used in a logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, and race. Data analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in Researcher-Labelled Healthy/Researcher-Labelled Unhealthy food choice between the control and intervention group (p \u3e .05). Significant differences were found by sex, race, and ethnicity for some, but not all, interventions. The goal of this research was to reveal if these nudges could persuade consumers into purchasing specific foods, and to consider this method as a way to encourage healthier eating. The results of this study should be used to continue conversations and research regarding obesity alleviation efforts by targeting the online grocery shopping experienc

Behavioral Design in Online Supermarkets: How Virtual Shopping Cart Functions Impact Sustainable Consumption

In recent years, the negative environmental impact of consumers\u27 dietary habits has become more visible. Accordingly, in-store interventions to promote more sustainable (e.g., organic) food choices have received increased scholarly attention. Thereby, online grocery shopping is gaining momentum as web-applications provide decision support tools such as real-time spending feedback (RSF). Building on budgeting and spending literature, this study provides initial insights on the impact of RSF on consumers’ organic food choices in online supermarkets. Using a free simulation experimental approach, we were able to track participants’ real grocery shopping behavior within a realistic online shopping environment. Within a baseline (no RSF) and an intervention (RSF) condition (between subject design), we show that RSF facilitated participants to stay within their budget and significantly reduced underspending. Somewhat surprisingly in response to the RSF, participants who usually buy fewer organic products purchased significantly more organic food items, both in absolute and relative terms

The Effects Of Highlighting Healthy Options On Consumer Food Choices In A Food Bank Setting

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of highlighting healthy food options on consumer food choices in a food bank setting. Methods: Two community food banks participated in this study. One food bank served as the control, while a second food bank was rearranged so that fresh produce and other healthy products were the first options that shoppers encountered upon entering. After shopping, carts were inventoried for healthy vs non-healthy products. Composition of the carts from the control food bank were then compared to the contents of the carts from the intervention food bank. Results: A total of 72 food bank users consented to participate in this study. Of the 72 participants, 38 were sampled at the control food bank and 34 were from the intervention food bank. Independent t-tests were used to evaluate the differences between the numbers of healthy food products taken from each category in the control food bank compared to the intervention food bank. Participants from the intervention food bank chose significantly more fresh fruits (p\u3c0.001), fresh vegetables (p\u3c0.001), canned vegetables (\u3c0.001), frozen vegetables (p=0.004), nuts (p=\u3c0.001), dairy products (p=0.015), and margarine (p=0.032). Conclusion: This study provided evidence that highlighting healthy foods increases the number of fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products, and margarine chosen by food bank users. These are significant data that can aid food banks and other similar settings in encouraging participants to choose nutritious food options, potentially leading to a healthier population of those that would be food insecure without food banks

Nudging to get our food choices on a sustainable track

Food production is one of the major contributors to environmental damage. Adaptations in our food choices are needed to preserve resources for the needs of future generations. More sustainable consumption patterns have been encouraged by economic incentives, laws, education and communication campaigns. Nonetheless, consumers still find difficulties in trying to change their current food habits. This review takes a behavioural approach in encouraging sustainable food choices among consumers. From a nudging perspective, many behavioural changes can be encouraged in a non-obtrusive way by adapting the complex food environment in which consumers are operating. These interventions do not restrict consumers' choices but rather adapt the choice architecture wherein food decisions are made. Drawing on the literature from diverse theoretical perspectives, we provide an overview of the application of nudging for more sustainable food choices and highlight where more research is needed. More specifically, we discuss research that used nudging to engender cognitive impact (i.e. the use of labels or visibility enhancements), affective responses (i.e. sensorial and social influence cues) and behavioural effects (i.e. adjustments in convenience and product size). We conclude that this review only shows the tip of the iceberg of the research on nudging and sustainable consumption that is likely forthcoming in the next few years, following the successes of nudging applications in other domains. Nonetheless, each individual nudging intervention requires careful examination. Personal predispositions towards the environment should be considered when designing interventions, demonstrating the complementarity of nudging with education on sustainable consumption

Feedback on Shopping Receipt Data Through a Mobile App: A Pilot Study

Mobile applications have become popular tools for supporting healthy nutrition behavior. Current tools are primarily based on the detailed tracking of a user’s direct consumption, thus intervening only during or even after a user has eaten something. With increasing home office hours (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic), people are eating more often at home, which has also led to a decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption. Therefore, we aim to support people in the food-shopping process. We suggest a mobile application that helps people reflect on their purchases and tries to nudge users toward healthier product choices. We conducted a pilot study with 31 participants who used the application for two consecutive weeks. During this time, we observed a decrease in the caloric values per 100 g of purchases. Furthermore, we collected positive feedback on the app regarding acceptance, usability, and user experience

Online Pilot Grocery Intervention among Rural and Urban Residents Aimed to Improve Purchasing Habits

Online grocery shopping has the potential to improve access to food, particularly among low-income households located in urban food deserts and rural communities. The primary aim of this pilot intervention was to test whether a three-armed online grocery trial improved fruit and vegetable (F&V) purchases. Rural and urban adults across seven counties in Kentucky, Maryland, and North Carolina were recruited to participate in an 8-week intervention in fall 2021. A total of 184 adults were enrolled into the following groups: (1) brick-and-mortar “BM” (control participants only received reminders to submit weekly grocery shopping receipts); (2) online-only with no support “O” (participants received weekly reminders to grocery shop online and to submit itemized receipts); and (3) online shopping with intervention nudges “O+I” (participants received nudges three times per week to grocery shop online, meal ideas, recipes, Facebook group support, and weekly reminders to shop online and to submit itemized receipts). On average, reported food spending on F/V by the O+I participants was USD 6.84 more compared to the BM arm. Online shopping with behavioral nudges and nutrition information shows great promise for helping customers in diverse locations to navigate the increasing presence of online grocery shopping platforms and to improve F&V purchases