Pricing and Promotion of Healthy Food: Consumer and Food Retailer Perspectives

Introduction:Policies and practices that lower relative prices of healthier vs. less healthy foods may help improve household level dietary quality and caloric appropriateness, although feasibility and sustainability of such strategies are unclear. We explored Black consumer perspectives about value and pricing of healthy and unhealthy food  and retailer perspectives about pricing models and promotion of   these foods.    We  focused on Black Americans, who have higher than average risks of diet-related chronic diseases. 

 Methods:  We conducted six focus groups  with Black women (n=43)  who were primary household food shoppers, and seven in-depth individual interviews  with independent grocery store owners/managers in the same locality. Audiotapes were transcribed and text was coded using  NVivo based on  broad codes that emerged from the data.

 Results:  Views  were congruent  about major issues and  ways to address them, e.g., increasing advertising and in-store displays for healthy foods and decreasing those for less healthy foods.   Consumers suggested pricing strategies for healthy and unhealthy food,   including discounting practices.   Retailers acknowledged or raised issues similar to those voiced by consumers, emphasized reasons for current practices as beyond their control  and  identified  consumer nutrition knowledge, demand for healthy food and skills in food  preparation and  manufacturer and distributor practices as important  determinants of  both retail availability and consumer choice.      

Conclusions: Further exploration of these issues with retailers and consumers as well as food manufacturers and distributors is needed to identify feasible approaches to improving supermarket  pricing and consumer demand  for healthier foods.