Large Supermarket Chain Research Articles

Increasing Food Expenditure in Long Day-care by an Extra $0.50 per Child/Day Would Improve Core Food Group Provision.

Early childhood education and care services are a significant feature of Australian family life, where nearly 1.4 million children attended a service in 2019. This paper reports on the cost of food provided to children in long day-care (LDC) services and extrapolates expenditure recommendations to support food provision compliance. A cross-sectional audit of LDC services in metropolitan Perth was conducted to determine food group provision by weighing raw ingredients of meal preparation—morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea (MT, L, AT). Ingredients were costed at 2017 online metropolitan pricing from a large supermarket chain. Across participating services, 2 days of food expenditure per child/day ranged between $1.17 and $4.03 across MT, L, AT, and averaged $2.00 per child/day. Multivariable analysis suggests that an increase of $0.50 per child/day increases the odds of a LDC service meeting >50% of Australian Dietary Guideline (ADG) recommendations across ≥4 core food groups by fourfold (p = 0.03). Given the fact that the literature regarding food expenditure at LDC services is limited, this study provides information about food expenditure variation that impacts planning and provision of nutritionally balanced menus recommended for children. An average increase of food expenditure of $0.50 per child/day would increase food provision compliance.

Food availability and advertising within food outlets around primary healthcare services in Brazil.

The consumer food environment is changing: an extensive variety of foods are now available in most markets, offering palatability, convenience and novelty. However, little is known about the availability and advertising of food items within food outlets, especially among developing countries. The present study examined these dimensions in 281 food outlets located around eighteen primary healthcare services in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2013. These establishments were classified as large-chain supermarkets; specialised fruits and vegetable (F&V) markets; and local grocery stores, convenience stores or bakeries. Availability of F&V, availability of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and food advertising were compared across the food outlet categories by applying the χ2 test. Almost 60 % of the food outlets were specialised F&V markets, 21⋅4 % were large-chain supermarkets and 19⋅2 % were local grocery stores, convenience stores or bakeries. Almost 80 % contained at least eight types of fruits and vegetables, and 60 % contained UPF. Food advertisement was absent in 59⋅8 % of the food outlets, 19⋅6 % were advertising only F&V and 17⋅4 % were advertising only UPF. Higher F&V availability was noted inside specialised F&V markets and large-chain supermarkets than local grocery stores, convenience stores or bakeries. Advertising of F&V was more common within specialised F&V markets. However, large-chain supermarkets and local grocery stores, convenience stores or bakeries contained more frequent UPF food advertising isolated: 38⋅3 and 35⋅2 %, respectively. Therefore, the availability and advertising of food items within food outlets around primary healthcare services are different according to the type of food outlet.

Assessment of radioactivity in commercially available honey in Italy

Activity concentration of natural radionuclides and 137Cs were estimated in 28 honeys purchased from large supermarket chains in Italy. Uranium, polonium and thorium were measured by alpha spectrometry, 40 K and 137Cs by gamma spectrometry and 226Ra by liquid scintillation. The concentrations were 50.6 ± 46.3, 0.023 ± 0.010, 0.019 ± 0.017, 0.27 ± 0.40 Bqkg−1 for 40 K, 238U, 234U and 210Po respectively. 235U, 228Th, 232Th were consistently <0.007 Bqkg−1 and 226Ra <0.200 Bqkg−1. 137Cs was <2.1 Bqkg−1 in 93% of the samples. The activity of radiocesium was found to be above the minimum detectable level in only two samples and did not exceed the highest permitted level for food contributing to the overall radioactivity only slightly. The effective doses attributable to 210Po accounts for 0.0026–5.31% of global human exposure to natural radiation. The honeys that were tested were found to be of good quality with regard to the parameters under study, confirming the general image of honey as a genuine healthy product.

Example 1: Danish regulations to phase out smoking

Abstract In recent years, progress in Danish tobacco control has come to a halt and there has been an increase in smoking prevalence. A capacity assessment report on the implementation of effective tobacco control measures concluded that there is no overall strategy or plan to protect children, adolescents and adults from the harms of tobacco, despite the national vision of no children and adolescents smoking by 2030. Another finding was that the tobacco industry is influential in Danish policy-making and not properly regulated. Key recommendations were: 1) Develop an overall, comprehensive strategy and implement a well-designed plan. 2) Increase tobacco taxes. 3) Adopt plain packaging and a point-of-sale display ban. 4) Ensure protection from exposure to second-hand smoke and 5) Protect public health policy from the influence of the tobacco industry. The Danish Government, however, is very reluctant and there is no sign of implementation of the recommendations, despite strong public support. On the other hand, there is progress at local level as many municipalities and private workplaces have implemented smokefree working hours (no smoking at all during working hours, even if you work at home), schools have implemented smokefree school hours (no smoking from 8 to 16, even if pupils go home for lunch or break) and large supermarket chains have implemented point-of-sale display bans.

Identifying entry barriers for food processors to supermarkets in Kenya

Abstract In Kenya, as in many other countries in the Global South, there is a growing population of so-called middle-income consumers that buy products from supermarkets. The increasing number of supermarkets in Kenya that serve these customers have become a potentially important market channel for domestic food processors. This paper identifies the barriers that domestic food processors encounter to accessing supermarkets within Kenya. It is based on survey data from 48 food processing firms that was collected in 2013–2014 and a set of two in-depth interviews conducted among selected firms in 2015 and 2016. The findings indicate that it is difficult for processed food products from Kenyan-owned firms to enter the domestic ‘modern’ retail sector. A combination of stringent entry and markets barriers such as strict legal requirements and licenses, unfair competition, and lack of capital means it is an onerous task to survive in the presence of cutthroat competition from imported food products. The food processing firms interviewed often view the emerging supermarket sector as offering promising new outlets for their products but also point to a number of entry barriers, typically concerning resources and the qualification requirements of domestically owned supermarkets. These requirements are primarily related to pricing and payment terms that are difficult for most interviewed food processors to comply with. Other barriers include standardisation, regulations and infrastructure. An overreliance on the largest supermarket chains has led to harsh competition among Kenyan food processors. While some struggle for mere survival, others have to refocus on smaller supermarkets and convenience stores.

Evaluation of psychosocial constraints among grocery stores workers in Tunisia

The identification of psychosocial constraints in the sector of mass retail is necessary to set up and guide preventive strategies. To evaluate the prevalence of psychosocial constraints among employees working in a large supermarket chains. A descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted in employees of grocery stores. The study was based on a questionnaire exploring their socio-professional characteristics and on the Karasek questionnaire. 245 workers participated in the study. The average age was 32.4±6.4 years. Sex-ratio was 0.84. Occupational seniority was 6.3 years (min=1 year; max=18 years). The category of employees was the most represented (56%); the cashiers and the executives represented respectively 24.5 and 19.5%. A job strain situation was observed in 28.2 % of cases. It varied significantly with occupational seniority (p=0.03). The employees and the cashiers represented the most exposed posts. A high job demands was observed in 48,2% of the cases. The employees working in a supermarket are more exposed than those working in a minimarket (p<0,001). A low job control was found in 61.2 % of cases. It was more important among the employees having a permanent employment contract (p=0.01). A low job suport was found in 65,3% of cases. A situation of isostrain was observed in 20%. According our results, workers in grocery stores are exposed to psychosocial risk factor. The implementation of strategies to reduce stress factors at work is required.

The normalisation of food aid: what happened to feeding people well?

In the UK, food poverty has increased in the last 15 years and the food aid supply chain that has emerged to tackle it is now roughly 10 years old. In this time, we have seen the food aid supply chain grow at a rate that has astounded many. Recently that growth has been aided by a grant of £20m from a large supermarket chain. It appears institutionalisation is just around the corner, if not already here. It also appears that there is far greater emphasis on dealing with the symptoms as opposed to solving the root causes of the problem. As an opinion piece, this paper reflects on some of the prevalent issues, and suggests some ways forward.

The normalisation of Food Aid: What happened to feeding people well?

In the UK, food poverty has increased in the last 15 years and the food aid supply chain that has emerged to tackle it is now roughly 10 years old. In this time, we have seen the food aid supply chain grow at a rate that has astounded many. Recently that growth has been aided by a grant of £20m from a large supermarket chain. It appears institutionalisation is just around the corner, if not already here. It also appears that there is far greater emphasis on dealing with the symptoms as opposed to solving the root causes of the problem. As an opinion piece, this paper reflects on some of the prevalent issues, and suggests some ways forward.

Nutritional Composition of Brazilian Food Products Marketed to Children.

Most food industry marketing in products targeted at children is found in packages of foods containing either excessive fat, sugar, or salt. This study audited all 5620 packaged foods available in a store of a large Brazilian supermarket chain and retrieved information from the nutrition facts tables on package labels. Products were photographed for further visual analysis to determine the presence of marketing strategies directed at children. Comparison of nutrient content per 100 g between children’s and non-children’s food products employed the Student t-test or the Mann–Whitney U-test (p-value < 0.05), due to the non-normal distribution of the nutritional composition data as verified through the Shapiro–Wilk test. Brazilian children’s food products from groups 4, 5, and 7 presented higher carbohydrate content than similar non-children’s products, while children’s food products from groups 1 and 7 presented lower fiber content. Results indicate that regulation on food labeling needs revising as it has not been effective in stopping the marketing of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods towards children.

Spatial Association of Food Sales in Supermarkets with the Mean BMI of Young Men: An Ecological Study.

Supermarket food sales data might serve as a simple indicator of population-level dietary habits that influence the prevalence of excess weight in local environments. To test this possibility, we investigated how variation in store-level food sales composition across Switzerland is associated with the mean Body Mass Index (BMI) of young men (Swiss Army conscripts) living near the stores. We obtained data on annual food sales (2011) for 553 stores from the largest supermarket chain in Switzerland, identified foods commonly regarded as “healthy” or “unhealthy” based on nutrient content, and determined their contribution to each store’s total sales (Swiss francs). We found that the sales percentages of both “healthy” and “unhealthy” food types varied by 2- to 3-fold among stores. Their balance ranged from −15.3% to 18.0% of total sales; it was positively associated with area-based socioeconomic position (r = 0.63) and negatively associated with the mean BMI of young men in the area (r = −0.42). Thus, even though we compared supermarkets from a single chain, different shopping behaviors of customers caused stores in privileged areas to sell relatively more healthy food. Knowledge about such patterns could help in designing in-store interventions for healthier nutrition and monitoring their effects over time.

Menu Costs and the Bullwhip Effect: Supply Chain Implications of Dynamic Pricing

We study the supply chain implications of dynamic pricing. Specifically, we estimate how reducing menu costs---the operational burden of adjusting prices---would affect supply chain volatility. Fitting a structural econometric model to data from a large Chinese supermarket chain, we estimate that removing menu costs would: (i) reduce the mean shipment coefficient of variation by 7.2 percentage points (pp), (ii) reduce the mean sales coefficient of variation by 4.pp, and (iii) reduce the mean bullwhip effect by 2.9 pp. These stabilizing changes are almost entirely attributable to an increase in the mean sales rate.

Practicing the (un)healthy = tasty intuition: Toward an ecological view of the relationship between health and taste in consumer judgments

Recent research has provided some first indications that not all consumers apply an unhealthy = more tasty heuristic when judging the healthiness and tastiness of food products. To address the question of whether and when consumers perceive food in accordance with unhealthy = tasty or healthy = tasty views, we conducted two studies in two European countries with consumers who were stratified along important demographic characteristics. In both studies, we presented participants with a random sample of real food products from two product categories available at a large supermarket chain. We hypothesized a positive relationship between subjective healthiness and tastiness judgments, which we assume has its bases in an evolutionary mechanism, personal consumption experiences and consumption trends. Our results consistently revealed the expected positive association between subjective healthiness and tastiness judgments across participants, countries, and products. However, the magnitude and valence of this relationship varied across product categories and depended on differences in the extents to which consumers believed in the unhealthy = tasty intuition, were interested in health, and exhibited a food pleasure orientation.

The normalisation of Food Aid: What happened to feeding people well?

In the UK, food poverty has increased in the last 15 years and the food aid supply chain that has emerged to tackle it is now roughly 10 years old. In this time, we have seen the food aid supply chain grow at a rate that has astounded many. Recently that growth has been aided by a grant of £20m from a large supermarket chain. It appears institutionalisation is just around the corner, if not already here. It also appears that there is far greater emphasis on dealing with the symptoms as opposed to solving the root causes of the problem. As an opinion piece, this paper reflects on some of the prevalent issues, and suggests some ways forward.

How close is the built environment to achieving circularity?

To accelerate the built environment and construction industry’s uptake of the circular economy, we can begin by highlighting and publicising the construction industry’s closest circular project examples that seem to (unintentionally) utilise recommended circularity principles and frameworks. The Ellen McArthur Foundation’s (EMF’s) Toolkit for Policy Makers has an easy-to-follow ReSOLVE (REgenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise, Exchange) framework. There are many initiatives in the construction industry to create less wasteful and operationally efficient building lifecycles including BREEAM, LEED, and LEAN etc. as well as design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA), offsite and modular, scan to BIM (Building Information Modelling), Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality (VR), Virtual Design Construction and Digital Twins. In addition, with innovative technologies and digitalisation it is now possible to not only design new buildings with facilities management efficiencies in mind at the onset, but it is also possible to digitalise older and even heritage buildings, built hundreds of years ago. However, whether these initiatives are “circular”, remains fragmented in an industry that is unfamiliar with the “circular economy”. This paper will extrapolate the EMF’s ReSOLVE frameworks through the context of three examples in vastly different formats; a desert lodge in the NamibRand Reserve (Namibia) close to achieving circularity; the tallest modular building in New York City that completely negates notions that pre-fab is undesirable and unattractive; and a large supermarket chain that has used BIM and other digitalisation to increase its operational efficiency, reduce material waste and increase visibility into space availability.

大型连锁超市新生代员工敬业度提升对策探究

大型连锁超市新生代员工敬业度提升对策探究

The Impact of a City-Level Minimum Wage Policy on Supermarket Food Prices by Food Quality Metrics: A Two-Year Follow Up Study.

Objective: To examine the effects of increasing minimum wage on supermarket food prices in Seattle over 2 years of policy implementation, overall and differentially across food quality metrics. Methods: Prices for the UW Center for Public Health Nutrition (CPHN) market basket of 106 foods were obtained for 6 large supermarket chain stores in Seattle (“intervention”) and for the same chain stores in King County (“control”) at four time points: 1-month pre- (March 2015), 1-month post- (May 2015), 1-year post- (May 2016), and 2-years post-policy implementation (May 2017). Prices for all food items were standardized and converted to price per 100 kcal. Food quality metrics were used to explore potential differential price increases by (a) food groups, as defined by US Department of Agriculture; (b) NOVA food processing categories, and (c) nutrient density quartiles, based on the Nutrient Rich Foods Index 9.3. Separate difference-in-differences linear regression models with robust standard errors, examined price differences per 100 kcal overall, clustered by store chain, and stratified by each food quality metric. Results: There were no overall market basket price changes attributable to Seattle’s minimum wage policy. Moreover, no minimum wage effect was detected by USDA food group, food processing, or nutrient density categories. Conclusions: Local area supermarket food prices were not impacted by Seattle’s minimum wage policy 2 years into policy implementation and after the first increase to $15/h overall or by sub-classification. Low-income workers may be able to afford higher quality diets if wages increase yet supermarket prices stay the same.

Transnational legal methodology and domestic markets for food

ABSTRACTTransnational legal scholars often describe how today transnational private ordering may evade, even weaken, state power. This article, by contrast, explores how transnational private ordering and state power can function as complements as much as antagonists. More specifically, it analyses an ongoing legal conflict in India over the regulation of new large supermarket chains according to what Peer Zumbansen calls transnational legal methodology—that is, a method of legal analysis that theorises the transnational and domestic, like the state and the market, not as opposites but rather as alternative, even potentially homologous, ways of describing the distribution of authority, resources, and power. In so doing, the article also suggests that food—a global market commodity constitutive of national sovereignty—is especially good to think with for transnational legal theory.

Teaching Case. The Case of Assabi: Expanding the Learning on Sustainability Through an Experiential Qualitative Multi-Criteria Decision Making Activity

ABSTRACTThis teaching case study provides a learning context to explore the integration of sustainability concepts into business decision-making processes from multiple stakeholder perspectives. The case study consists of the simulation of a multi-criteria decision process in a fictitious story about stakeholders interested in the export of frozen fruit pulp from the Amazon forest in Brazil to a large supermarket chain in the UK. Within this case, we present: the key stakeholders and their interests; the alternatives for negotiation and; indicators related to financial performance and the economic, social and environmental impacts predicted by the implementation of each alternative. The learning activities are structured using an integration of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and learning in teams with a qualitative engagement with a Multi-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA). Student groups experience the role of stakeholders by representing their values, knowledge, and preferences in an interactive process where they are progressively exposed to different levels of information about the decision and its consequences. The activity has the potential to offer a practical and complementary contribution in different learning environments to accounting and business decision-making for sustainability.

Metropolitan residents’ willingness to payment and factors affecting low-carbon agricultural products: an empirical analysis on low-carbon vegetables in Shanghai

In this paper, we investigated the willingness of metropolitan residents to pay for low-carbon agricultural products. By developing low-carbon agricultural products, carbon emission would be reduced significantly. Using the contingent valuation method, this paper explored Shanghai residents’ willingness to pay for vegetables with carbon labeling. The results of multiple regression model and logistic regression model are as follows: while 91% of respondents were willing to buy vegetables with carbon labels, they were only willing to pay an additional fee of 6% for low-carbon vegetables. Secondly, gender, education level, awareness of carbon labeling, habits to buy vegetables in a traditional market, large supermarket chains, and community supermarket would significantly affect the respondent’s willingness to buy low-carbon vegetables. Thirdly, family structure, household disposable income, awareness of carbon labeling and habits to buy vegetable in large supermarket chains would significantly affect the respondent’s willingness for an additional pay. It is necessary to increase publicity for promoting the construction of low-carbon agricultural products market. Appropriate channels must be selected for the sale of low-carbon agricultural products because of the effect of vegetation buying habits to “willingness to buy” and “willingness to an additional pay”. Due to the low level of additional payment of low-carbon agricultural products, producers need to reduce production costs of low-carbon agricultural products by developing circular agriculture.

Vigilância, controle e tecnologia: um estudo sobre o setor supermercadista em São Paulo

Através de uma observação direta de três grandes redes de supermercados brasileiros, este artigo discute como novas tecnologias são usadas no controle dos trabalhadores. Desde o começo do capitalismo industrial, tecnologias são usadas para produzir comportamentos que gerem maior produtividade, impondo uma disciplina de trabalho. Com a passagem para sociedade de controle, a videovigilância se espalhou pelos mais diferentes espaços do cotidiano. Nos supermercados, desenvolveu-se nos últimos anos um sistema para diminuir riscos: a prevenção de perdas. Este artigo discute justamente esse sistema como um dispositivo de controle do trabalho, analisando suas técnicas de vigilância como uma forma de controle dos trabalhadores.