Putting corner store makeovers in context: Food venues in East Los Angeles

Introduction: Many low-income communities of color have limited access to supermarkets but easy access to small corner stores. As a result, corner stores hold great potential for increasing access and availability to healthy foods in these areas. The UCLA/USC Center for Population Health and Health Disparities used a mixed-methods approach to understand the role that corner stores play in the food purchasing and consumption behaviors of residents of East Los Angeles, California. Methods: We used GIS mapping to examine how the distribution of corner stores, supermarkets, and fast food restaurants in East LA compares to the rest of Los Angeles. We conducted 10 focus groups with 92 adult, mostly Latino, East LA residents to understand how they perceive corner stores, how often they frequent these stores, and what types of food they purchase there. Results: East LA neighborhoods have fewer supermarkets and more fast food restaurants and corner stores than most high-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. However, focus group interviews revealed that East LA residents visit corner stores infrequently due to their perceptions that corner stores have lower-quality food, higher prices, and less desirable store environments than supermarkets. Focus group participants suggested changes that would make corner stores more appealing, including stocking a wider variety of fresh and healthy foods and reducing prices. Discussion: Results of this study is informing the development of an East LA ‘market makeover' intervention to offer and promote healthy foods and a community-based social marketing campaign to promote converted stores and healthy eating.