Short answer
Focus on implementing and optimizing 'prompting' and 'proximity' strategies in retail settings to encourage healthier consumer choices, as these are perceived as most feasible by store managers.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Translational Behavioral Medicine (2019)
- Method
- Mixed methods approach including card sorting and qualitative coding.
- Sample
- 29 retailers
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Retailers perceive strategies like product placement and labeling as more feasible for promoting healthy food choices than those requiring significant product or pricing changes. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Translational Behavioral Medicine. Using Mixed methods approach including card sorting and qualitative coding. with 29 retailers, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Focus on implementing and optimizing 'prompting' and 'proximity' strategies in retail settings to encourage healthier consumer choices, as these are perceived as most feasible by store managers.
Retailer Feasibility of Healthy Food Marketing Strategies Varies by Approach
Retailers perceive strategies like product placement and labeling as more feasible for promoting healthy food choices than those requiring significant product or pricing changes.
Translational Behavioral Medicine · 2019
Key Findings
- 01Prompting (e.g., labeling) and proximity (e.g., product location) strategies were considered highly feasible by SNAP-authorized retailers.
- 02Barriers to implementing healthy marketing strategies were primarily related to strategy appropriateness, rather than direct feasibility.
- 03Few differences were found in perceived feasibility between independent and corporate retailers.
Application
Design takeaway
Focus on implementing and optimizing 'prompting' and 'proximity' strategies in retail settings to encourage healthier consumer choices, as these are perceived as most feasible by store managers.
How to apply
When designing interventions for food retailers, begin with a feasibility assessment of proposed strategies, prioritizing those that are easily integrated into existing operations, such as in-store signage, shelf placement, and product visibility.
Project actions
- 01When proposing design solutions for businesses, consider how easy or difficult it will be for them to implement your ideas.
- 02Think about what resources and constraints businesses already have.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Employs a mixed-methods approach to capture both quantitative feasibility ratings and qualitative insights into barriers.
- +Focuses on retailer perspectives, which is often overlooked in public health initiatives.
Limitations
The study's findings are based on perceptions, and actual implementation might reveal different challenges. The specific context of SNAP-authorized stores may limit generalizability.
Reliability & validity
Reliability could be enhanced by using standardized rating scales and ensuring consistent interviewer training. Validity is supported by the mixed-methods approach, triangulating findings from card sorting and qualitative interviews.
Think critically
How might the 'appropriateness' of a strategy, as identified in this study, be further investigated and addressed in future design projects?
Design Principles
"Prioritize interventions that align with stakeholder operational realities and perceived feasibility for successful adoption and impact."
Understanding retailer perspectives is crucial for developing effective public health initiatives within food retail environments. Tailoring strategies to perceived feasibility can increase adoption rates and ultimately impact consumer purchasing habits.
What This Means for Your Design
Store owners think it's easier to put up signs or move healthy foods around to get people to buy them, rather than changing prices or what food they sell.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify focusing on specific types of design interventions (e.g., user interface changes over backend system overhauls) based on feasibility assessments.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This study highlights that the perceived feasibility of implementing marketing strategies significantly influences their potential adoption in retail environments. Retailers found strategies like improved product placement and clear labeling (prompting and proximity) to be highly feasible, suggesting that design interventions focusing on these areas are more likely to be successfully integrated into store operations.
Source
Translational Behavioral Medicine
Rural independent and corporate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized store owners’ and managers’ perceived feasibility to implement marketing-mix and choice-architecture strategies to encourage healthy consumer purchases
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about retailer feasibility of healthy food marketing strategies varies by approach?
- Focus on implementing and optimizing 'prompting' and 'proximity' strategies in retail settings to encourage healthier consumer choices, as these are perceived as most feasible by store managers. Evidence: Translational Behavioral Medicine (2019).
- Why does "Retailer Feasibility of Healthy Food Marketing Strategies Varies by Approach" matter for design?
- Understanding retailer perspectives is crucial for developing effective public health initiatives within food retail environments. Tailoring strategies to perceived feasibility can increase adoption rates and ultimately impact consumer purchasing habits.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Focus on implementing and optimizing 'prompting' and 'proximity' strategies in retail settings to encourage healthier consumer choices, as these are perceived as most feasible by store managers.
- What were the main findings?
- Prompting (e.g., labeling) and proximity (e.g., product location) strategies were considered highly feasible by SNAP-authorized retailers.. Barriers to implementing healthy marketing strategies were primarily related to strategy appropriateness, rather than direct feasibility.. Few differences were found in perceived feasibility between independent and corporate retailers.
- What research method was used?
- Mixed methods approach including card sorting and qualitative coding. with 29 retailers.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from Translational Behavioral Medicine.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing interventions for food retailers, begin with a feasibility assessment of proposed strategies, prioritizing those that are easily integrated into existing operations, such as in-store signage, shelf placement, and product visibility.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on perceived feasibility, which may not perfectly correlate with actual implementation success. The sample size was relatively small, and the findings might not be generalizable to all types of food retailers or geographic locations.