Abstract
BackgroundLowering the price of fruit and vegetables is a promising strategy in stimulating the purchase of those foods. However, the true effects of this strategy are not well studied and it is unclear how the money saved is spent. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a 25% discount on fruits and vegetables on food purchases in a supermarket environment.MethodsA randomized controlled trial with two research conditions was conducted: a control condition with regular prices (n = 52) and an experimental condition with a 25% discount on fruits and vegetables (n = 63). The experiment was carried out using a three-dimensional web-based supermarket, which is a software application in the image of a real supermarket. Data were collected in 2010 in the Netherlands. Participants received a fixed budget and were asked to buy weekly household groceries at the web-based supermarket. Differences in fruit and vegetable purchases, differences in expenditures in other food categories and differences in total calories were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and multiple linear regression models accounting for potential effect modifiers and confounders.ResultsThe purchased amount of fruit plus vegetables was significantly higher in the experimental condition compared to the control condition (Δ984 g per household per week, p = .03) after appropriate adjustments. This corresponds to a 25% difference compared to the control group. Both groups had similar expenditures in unhealthier food categories, including desserts, soda, crisps, candy and chocolate. Furthermore, both groups purchased an equal number of food items and an equal amount of calories, indicating that participants in the discount condition did not spend the money they saved from the discounts on other foods than fruits and vegetables.ConclusionA 25% discount on fruits and vegetables was effective in stimulating purchases of those products and did neither lead to higher expenditures in unhealthier food categories nor to higher total calories purchased. Future studies in real supermarkets need to confirm these findings.
Highlights
Lowering the price of fruit and vegetables is a promising strategy in stimulating the purchase of those foods
The 3-D supermarket application was designed in the image of a real supermarket using an Amsterdam branch of the Dutch market leader as a model
Food prices were based on the prices of the two Dutch market leaders, and the stock was based on a real supermarket
Summary
Lowering the price of fruit and vegetables is a promising strategy in stimulating the purchase of those foods. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a 25% discount on fruits and vegetables on food purchases in a supermarket environment. In a previously conducted Delphi study [9], focus group study [10] and quantitative survey [11] expert and consumer viewpoints on the kind of pricing strategies that are considered to be most feasible and effective in stimulating healthy food choices were. It was observed that experts and consumers agreed on the potential success of making healthy foods cheaper. Consumers indicated that they would eat more healthy foods if those products would become less expensive [10]. Lowering the price of healthier foods has good potential in raising sales of these products
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