1. Smart Choices Start Here: Engaging Small Food Retailers and Consumers Through Shop Smart Tennessee.
- Author
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Sneed, Christopher, Sweet, Cori, Anderson-Steeves, Betsy, Franck, Karen, Salie, Jeanmarie, Ward, Jennifer, and Johnson, Kristen
- Subjects
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FOOD security , *SHOPPING , *CONSUMER attitudes , *CLINICAL trials , *CONFERENCES & conventions , *GROCERY industry , *FOOD supply , *HEALTH promotion , *COMMUNITY-based social services - Abstract
To evaluate the effectiveness of Shop Smart Tennessee (SSTN) in engaging small food retailers in promoting healthy food items and impacting consumer purchasing Research has shown the food retail environment, including accessibility and affordability of foods, is an important component of dietary choices. As a strategy to increase consumers' ability and motivation to purchase healthier foods, food retail work is a critical component of a multipronged approach to address chronic disease prevention (CDC, 2014). Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and reciprocal determinism, SSTN works with small food retailers - mostly rural - to implement strategies to encourage healthy food choices. Additionally, by engaging consumers, SSTN seeks to increase demand of healthier foods such as low-calorie beverages, whole grains, lean proteins, and fruit. Target audiences included small food retailers and shoppers of SNAP/EBT accepting stores in low-income census tracts from 2021-2023. SSTN is an eight-week SNAP-Ed food retail program designed to encourage consumers to make healthy food selections. SSTN uses weekly taste testing, educational materials, behavioral economics approaches, and social media to achieve program goals. Additionally, SSTN educators work with retailers to implement store environmental changes and stocking enhancements designed to promote healthy choices. Evaluation data were collected through a standardized store assessment conducted at the start of the intervention, post-intervention retailer interviews, and paper surveys distributed to consumers during final sessions. Since 2021, SSTN has been implemented in 31 stores reaching over 9,100 consumers. 370 adults completed surveys. Fifty-six percent (n=209) of respondents reported they purchased promoted foods as a result of the in-store taste testings. Twenty store managers completed surveys. During program delivery, 40% (n=8) managers started stocking new healthy items and 42% (n=9) increased their stock of current healthy items. SSTN effectively engaged food retailers and positively impacted consumer demand for healthier foods demonstrating the ability of small food retail interventions to benefit both customers and store owners. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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