Neighborhood Convenience Store Research Articles

Childhood obesity inequality in northeast China: joint effect of social economic status and school neighborhood environment

BackgroundObesogenic environment is important in driving obesity epidemic. Children spend large amount of their time in schools. School neighborhood environment, as well as its interaction with socioeconomic status (SES) needs to be explored to provide evidence for children obesity prevention policies.MethodsObjective anthropometric measurement, a household structured questionnaire, and school geospatial analyses were carried out on 3670 children (aged 9–12 years) of 26 schools in northeast China. Interaction between SES inter-categorical intersectionality group and school neighborhood environment was tested for the effect on children’s body mass index z scores (z-BMI) and waist–hip ratio z scores (z-WHR), following formulation of SES inter-categorical intersectionality group based on household wealth, parental education, and parental occupation.ResultsSES groups formed by household wealth, parental education and parental occupation was associated with z-BMI and z-WHR for girls. Those from moderate wealth & self-employed (M&S) families had the highest adjusted z-BMI and z-WHR among all SES groups. School neighborhood environment factors interacted with SES groups in association with WHR for girls. Number of school neighborhood supermarkets and residential sites were negatively associated with z-WHR for girls from M&S families (β= -0.45 (95%CI: -0.76, -0.15) for supermarkets; β= -0.01 (95%CI: -0.03, 0.00) for residential sites). Number of school neighborhood convenience stores and public transport stops were positively associated with z-WHR for girls from M&S families (β = 0.02 (95%CI: 0.00, 0.03) for convenience stores; β = 0.23 (95%CI: 0.15, 0.31) for public transport stops). While non-significant association was found for number of vegetable stores.ConclusionGirls from moderate wealth & self-employed families may be the group susceptible to school neighborhood environment. Local policies targeted at improving the school neighborhood environment may be one avenue for reducing socioeconomic disparities in obesity especially for girls.

Creating grocery delivery hubs for food deserts at local convenience stores via spatial and temporal consolidation

For many socioeconomically disadvantaged customers living in food deserts, the high costs and minimum order size requirements make attended grocery deliveries financially non-viable, although it has a potential to provide healthy foods to the food insecure population. This paper proposes consolidating customer orders and delivering to a neighborhood convenience store instead of home delivery. We employ an optimization framework involving the minimum cost set covering and the capacitated vehicle routing problems. Our experimental studies in three counties in the U.S. suggest that by spatial and temporal consolidation of orders, the deliverer can remove minimum order-size requirements and reduce the delivery costs, depending on various factors, compared to attended home-delivery. We find the number and size of time windows for home delivery to be the most important factor in achieving temporal consolidation benefits. Other significant factors in achieving spatial consolidation include the capacity of delivery vehicles, the number of depots, and the number of customer orders. We also find that the number of partner convenience stores and the walkable distance parameter of the model have a significant impact on the number of accepted orders, i.e., the service level provided by the deliverer. The findings of this study imply consolidated grocery delivery as a viable solution to improve fresh food access in food deserts. In light of the recent global pandemic and its exacerbating effects on food insecurity, the innovative solution proposed in this paper is even more relevant and timely.

The Manipulation of the Lipid Mediator Metabolism as Adjunct Host-Directed Therapy in Tuberculosis.

Host-directed therapies (HDTs) enhance the host response to tuberculosis (TB) infection to reduce disease severity. For instance, the manipulation of lipid mediator production diminishes the hyperactive immune response which is a known pathological feature of TB that generates lung tissue damage. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) are examples of such HDTs. In this mini-review, we recapitulate the literature available on the effects of NSAIDs and n-3 LCPUFA in TB as well as the immunological pathways underpinning these effects. Many NSAIDs have a great deal of data describing their effects and safety and in many jurisdictions are inexpensive, and sold over the counter in neighborhood convenience stores and supermarkets. The potential benefits of NSAIDs in TB are well-documented in pre-clinical studies. The reduction of pro-inflammatory lipid mediator production by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways with NSAIDs has been found to improve lung histopathology, bacterial control, and survival. Additionally, n-3 LCPUFA and its novel bioactive metabolites produced by COX and lipoxygenase (LOX) have been identified as safe and effective pro-resolving and antibacterial pharmaconutrients. Nevertheless, heterogeneous results have been reported in pre-clinical TB studies. Recently, the importance of the correct timing of NSAIDs and n-3 LCPUFA administration in TB has also been highlighted. This mini-review will provide a better understanding of the potential contribution of these therapies toward reducing inflammatory lung damage and improving bactericidal activity, especially during later stages of TB infection. It further highlights that clinical trials are required to confirm benefit and safety in TB patients.

Association between Neighborhood Food Access, Household Income, and Purchase of Snacks and Beverages in the United States.

Considerable research on the risk factors of obesity and chronic diseases has focused on relationships between where people live, where they shop, and the types of food they purchase. Rarely have investigators used a national sample and explicitly addressed the amount of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods purchased in different types of neighborhood food stores. Even more rarely have studies accounted for the characteristics of the broader built environment in which food stores are located and which affect the convenience of using neighborhood food stores. We used a large population-based cohort of predominantly white U.S. households from the Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel 2010 dataset to examine whether there were positive cross-sectional associations between availability of neighborhood convenience stores and supermarkets and self-reported household annual expenditures for snacks and beverages. We examined this relationship separately for poor and non-poor households as defined by the 2010 U.S. federal poverty threshold. We used mixed error-component regression models to examine associations between availability of neighborhood food stores and the expenditures on snacks and beverages, controlling for regional destination accessibility, availability and diversity of neighborhood destinations, and neighborhood street connectivity. In multivariate analyses, we observed that poor households in neighborhoods with few convenience stores purchased more snacks than poor households in neighborhoods with many convenience stores (b = −0.008, p < 0.05). Non-poor households in neighborhoods with many convenience stores and fewer supermarkets purchased more snacks than non-poor households in neighborhoods with few convenience stores and many supermarkets (b = 0.002, p < 0.05 for convenience stores; b = −0.027, p < 0.05 for supermarkets). Increase in number of convenience stores decreased the purchase of snacks by poor households, but increased in non-poor households. On other hand, increase in number of supermarkets discouraged purchase of snacks by non-poor households but had no effect on the purchasing behavior of the poor-households.Therefore, evaluation of access to energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods should include a consideration of geographic proximity. Local governments should consider strategies to expand the availability and access to nutrient-rich food and beverage products in convenience stores for consumers.

An organizational ecology approach to new food marts in New York City neighbourhoods

ABSTRACT Global forces have disrupted local businesses across cities, but neighbourhood convenience stores and small grocery stores have proven to be resilient in the face of economic and institutional pressures. In this paper, we integrate urban retail and organizational ecology perspectives and examine small independently-owned convenience and grocery stores, colloquially referred to as food marts, as organizational populations that develop and persist in neighbourhoods across multiple decades. Drawing on data from the National Establishment Time Series database and the Decennial Census, we argue that a nonlinear relationship exists between the number of existing food marts and the emergence of new food marts. Furthermore, we examine how conditions such as the presence of chain stores, neighbourhood socio-economic conditions and ethno-racial composition affect the likelihood that new food marts will emerge in neighbourhoods. Our results show that the emergence of new food marts in neighbourhoods is strongly influenced by the existing number of similar firm types. In other words, we find that competition among new food marts strongly predicts the extent to which small food marts remain in neighbourhoods. The value our study is that we look beyond the individual firm and ask whether the entire population is at risk, for example when chain stores are present.

Spatializing an Artist-Resident Community Area at a Building-Level: A Case Study of Garosu-Gil, South Korea

This study integrated a focus on geographical, physical, and commercial characteristics to explore the commercial gentrification phenomenon and its related statistical summaries in the area of Garosu-gil in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong ward. In particular, this study first collected parcel and building data and corresponding attribute information and mapped the resulting datasets in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. We then examined gentrification issues per building and conducted statistical analyses to investigate spatial patterns of commercial gentrification, which were used to develop criteria for determining degrees of gentrification. Third, this study conducted correlation and regression analyses to quantify the strength of the linear relationship between pairs of variables associated with primary factors contributing to commercial gentrification, and used a geographically weighted regression model (GWR) to help understand and predict spatial relationships between significant variables. The results showed positive correlations between several variables and commercial gentrification in the study area, namely neighborhood-convenience facilities, building ages, store rents, new franchise and restaurant businesses, distance to subways, and the presence of multiple roads. Based on its finding, there are key contributions of this study as follows. The first significant contribution of this study is developing measurement of gentrification levels that can be used by policy makers at each of four stages of the gentrification process. Furthermore, this paper develops a comprehensive approach for spatially identifying gentrifying neighborhoods across multiple time periods in 2- and 3-dimensions. It eventually helps urban planners implement preventative or supportive programs to protect lower-income residents and small businesses and thereby engender more sustainable community development.

Creating Grocery Delivery Hubs for Food Deserts at Local Convenience Stores via Spatial and Temporal Consolidation

For many socioeconomically disadvantaged customers living in food deserts, the high costs and minimum order size requirements make attended grocery deliveries financially non-viable, although it has potential to provide healthy foods to the food insecure population. This paper proposes consolidating customer orders and delivering to a neighborhood convenience store instead of home delivery. We employ an optimization framework involving the minimum cost set covering and the capacitated vehicle routing problems. Our experimental studies in three counties in the U.S. suggest that by spatial and temporal consolidation of orders, the deliverer can remove minimum order-size requirements and reduce the delivery costs, depending on various factors, compared to attended home-delivery. We find the number and size of time windows for home delivery to be the most important factor in achieving temporal consolidation benefits. Other significant factors in achieving spatial consolidation include the capacity of delivery vehicles, the number of depots, and the number of customer orders. We also find that the number of partner convenience stores and the walkable distance parameter of the model, have a significant impact on the number of accepted orders, i.e., the service level provided by the deliverer. The findings of this study imply consolidated grocery delivery as a viable solution to improve fresh food access in food deserts. In light of the recent global pandemic, and its exacerbating effects on food insecurity, the innovative solution proposed in this paper is even more relevant and timely.

Association between neighbourhood convenience stores and independent living in older people in Japan.

On ageing, and as physical functionality declines, shopping for food and commodities can become a challenge. In Japan, convenience stores (CVSs) play an important role in older people's daily lives. This study investigated the relationship between the geographical accessibility of CVSs, supermarkets and grocery stores and shopping independence. We used the administrative long-term care insurance data from a sample of 7703 older adults. The spatial coverages of the stores were calculated using a geographic information system. A multilevel regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between neighbourhood spatial coverage and individual shopping independence. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, individual functioning and neighbourhood-level population density, the regression analysis revealed that the CVSs spatial coverage was negatively associated with a risk of shopping dependence (odds ratio=0.73, P=0.03). The findings suggest that geographical accessibility of CVSs may be beneficial for maintaining shopping independence.

Neighbourhood convenience stores and childhood weight outcomes: an instrumental variable approach

ABSTRACTThe association between the commercial food environment and childhood obesity is increasingly assessed in the literature, but little is known about the role of convenience stores, an important food retail format worldwide. This study helps bridge the gap using individual-level data containing measured body mass index (BMI) for public schoolchildren and geo-coded residence and store locations in Arkansas, United States. The distance from residence to the nearest highway is employed to instrument neighbourhood convenience store exposure, while controlling for possible confounding effects of other food stores. We find that exposure to at least one convenience store exposure is associated with a BMI z-score increase of 0.162 SD, and exposure to each additional convenience store is associated with a BMI increase of 0.071 SD. There is no evidence for a larger association among children from low-income families or those with limited access to healthy foods.

Understanding bias in relationships between the food environment and diet quality: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study

BackgroundThe relationship between food environment exposures and diet behaviours is unclear, possibly because the majority of studies ignore potential residual confounding.MethodsWe used 20 years (1985–1986, 1992–1993 2005–2006) of data from...

Does unmeasured confounding influence associations between the retail food environment and body mass index over time? The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

Findings in the observational retail food environment and obesity literature are inconsistent, potentially due to a lack of adjustment for residual confounding. Using data from the CARDIA study (n = 12 174 person-observations; 6 examinations; 1985-2011) across four US cities (Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Oakland, CA), we used instrumental-variables (IV) regression to obtain causal estimates of the longitudinal associations between the percentage of neighbourhood food stores or restaurants (per total food outlets within 1 km network distance of respondent residence) with body mass index (BMI), adjusting for individual-level socio-demographics, health behaviours, city, year, total food outlets and market-level prices. To determine the presence and extent of bias, we compared the magnitude and direction of results with ordinary least squares (OLS) and random effects (RE) regression, which do not control for residual confounding, and with fixed effects (FE) regression, which does not control for time-varying residual confounding. Relative to neighbourhood supermarkets (which tend to be larger and have healthier options than grocery stores), a higher percentage of grocery stores [mean = 53.4%; standard deviation (SD) = 31.8%] was positively associated with BMI [β = 0.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01, 0.10] using IV regression. However, associations were negligible or null using OLS (β = -0.001; 95% CI = -0.01, 0.01), RE (β = -0.003; 95% CI = -0.01, 0.0001) and FE (β = -0.003; 95% CI = -0.01, 0.0002) regression. Neighbourhood convenience stores and fast-food restaurants were not associated with BMI in any model. Longitudinal associations between neighbourhood food outlets and BMI were greater in magnitude using a causal model, suggesting that weak findings in the literature may be due to residual confounding.

Abstract 33: Instrumental Variables Regression to Account for Bias in Associations Between the Food Environment and Diet Quality in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Introduction: Although observational evidence suggests that the food environment is associated with diet behaviors, the literature is inconsistent. Most studies ignore potential bias due to healthier people selecting healthier residential neighborhoods and healthier food outlets locating in areas where there is demand. Hypotheses: Greater availability of fast food restaurants (vs. full-service restaurants) and convenience stores and grocery stores (vs. supermarkets) is associated with lower diet quality, accounting for potential bias. Methods: We used 20 years (1985-6; 1992-3; 2005-6) of data from CARDIA study (n=26,203 observations) with geographically-linked, time-varying neighborhood-level data. Using instrumental-variables regression with a generalized method of moments estimator, we estimated the longitudinal association between the percent of neighborhood fast food restaurants, full-service restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, and supermarkets (per total food outlets within 1-km network distance of respondents’ residences at each exam) and an a priori diet quality score, with higher scores indicating higher diet quality. We adjusted for individual-level sociodemographics, health behaviors, baseline study center, exam year, and total other food outlets. We included theoretically-justified instrumental variables related to neighborhood-level sociodemographics, road connectivity, physical activity facilities, and housing prices. Results: Across exam years the mean diet quality score was 64.3 (SD=12.8; range: 24-107). Relative to the percent of neighborhood full-service restaurants, a 10% increase in the density of fast food restaurants (mean=12.3; SD=13.0) was associated with a lower a priori diet quality score over time (β=-3.5; 95% CI=-6.0, -0.90; p=0.01), after adjusting for potential residential selection and purposeful store placement. However, relative to the percent of supermarkets, neither the percent of convenience stores (β=-0.85; 95% CI=0.12, -1.93; p=0.12), nor grocery stores (β=-0.72; 95% CI=-1.70, -0.26; p=0.15), was associated with diet quality. Conclusions: Compared to standard regression models, our findings suggest that efforts to reduce the availability of neighborhood fast food restaurants, but not other types of food outlets, may be associated with minor improvements to diet behaviors. This suggests that the selective nature of where people and stores locate may influence associations of the food environment with diet quality.

Linking retailing experiences with life satisfaction

Purpose – A common assumption holds that retailers generally contribute to customer life satisfaction – retailers offer products and services that solve consumer problems – large and small. However, some retail experiences have been found to generate dissatisfaction, stress and unhappiness for some customers but not for others. Research is needed to not only demonstrate how retail experiences impact customer life satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to address the question: why does satisfaction with various store types impact customer life satisfaction differently? Design/methodology/approach – The research context of this study is grocery retailers (neighbourhood convenience stores, super markets, and grocery discounters) in Austria. Using stratified random sampling across store types, a total of 379 personal interviews with grocery store customers were conducted. OLS regression analysis was conducted to test the research model. Findings – The study results suggest that satisfaction with a store type impacts customer life satisfaction depending on store-type congruity with shoppers’ identity. That is, satisfaction with a store type (e.g. neighbourhood convenience stores, super markets, and grocery discounters) is found to influence life satisfaction if the store type is congruent with the shoppers’ self-image and lifestyle. Practical implications – An emphasis on store-type congruity with shopper’s identity allows retailers to shift their attention towards creating more meaningful shopping experiences. Such a shift in focus may not only benefit retailers due to increase in customer loyalty for that store format. It also benefits shoppers themselves – the shopping experience contributes to shoppers’ life satisfaction. Originality/value – This research introduces store-type congruity with shopper’s identity as a key concept that connects shopping experiences to customer life satisfaction. This contributes towards building the hierarchical theory of shopping motivation. It demonstrates under what conditions shopping experiences impact consumer life satisfaction – a research topic that has received little attention in the retailing literature to date.

Quiet Heroics at the Back End: 7-Eleven Holds Its Neighborhood Edge

Seldom, if at all, a neighborhood convenience store will conjure up images of managerial sophistication. Its typically modest offerings project across the routine and somewhat regimented purchases of ordinary consumers. They come from all ages, gender, and background — husbands and wives returning home from work; people on the move; or impetuous kids rushing in to pick up candy or a bottle of Coke. And located in either quiet or otherwise busy neighborhoods, neither their internal ambience nor outward observances suggest even a modicum of challenge that sustains the spirit of uncompromising courtesy that is churned out hour-after-hour in its Have a Nice Day cliche to its customers. Why should 7-Eleven be any different?

Neighborhood availability of convenience stores and diet quality: findings from 20 years of follow-up in the coronary artery risk development in young adults study.

We examined the association between neighborhood convenience stores and diet outcomes for 20 years of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. We used dietary data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study years 1985-1986, 1992-1993, and 2005-2006 (n = 3299; Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; and Oakland, CA) and geographically and temporally matched neighborhood-level food resource and US Census data. We used random effects repeated measures regression to estimate associations between availability of neighborhood convenience stores with diet outcomes and whether these associations differed by individual-level income. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, greater availability of neighborhood convenience stores was associated with lower diet quality (mean score = 66.3; SD = 13.0) for participants with lower individual-level income (b = -2.40; 95% CI = -3.30, -1.51); associations at higher individual-level income were weaker. We observed similar associations with whole grain consumption across time but no statistically significant associations with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, snacks, processed meats, fruits, or vegetables. The presence of neighborhood convenience stores may be associated with lower quality diets. Low-income individuals may be most sensitive to convenience store availability.

Food access and food deserts: the diverse methods that residents of a neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota use to provision themselves

Using data from a survey of residents living in a United States Department of Agriculture defined food desert in Duluth, Minnesota, this article examines the diverse ways that people living in a neighborhood without a grocery store feed themselves. We found that there is no singular experience of living in a food desert. Many neighborhood residents were highly mobile and shopped at a wide variety of local grocery stores, and a small group of neighborhood residents without cars relied on public transit, neighborhood convenience stores, and borrowing vehicles in order to provision themselves. These coping strategies were expensive and time-consuming, especially for the most vulnerable members of the community such as single parents and those without cars. We use the variety of experiences of people living in a food desert to propose interventions that would help improve food access in the community.

ConvenienceProbe: A Phone-Based System for Retail Trade-Area Analysis

Systematically and quantitatively determining patterns in consumer flow is an important problem in marketing research. Identifying these patterns can facilitate an understanding of where and when consumers purchase products and services at physical retail shops. Collecting data on real consumers who shop at retail stores is one of the most challenging and expensive aspects of these studies. This article introduces ConvenienceProbe, a phone-based data collection system for retail trade-area analysis. The proposed method targets local residents shopping at neighborhood convenience stores. This study deploys and tests the system by collecting real customer flow data in neighborhood convenience stores. Results show that the consumer flow data collected from the ConvenienceProbe system is comparable to that from a traditional face-to-face interview method.

Psychosocial factors influencing the frequency of fast-food consumption among urban and rural Costa Rican adolescents

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify psychosocial factors that influence fast-food consumption in urban and rural Costa Rican adolescents. MethodsA self-administered questionnaire designed for the study asked about sociodemographic information, frequency of fast-food consumption, meaning of “fast food,” location of purchase, and psychosocial correlates. Five psychosocial factors were extracted by using principal components analysis with Varimax rotation method and eigenvalues. Descriptive statistics and a hierarchical linear regression model were used to predict the frequency of fast-food consumption. ResultsResponses from 400 adolescents (ages 12–17 y) reveal that daily consumption of fast food was 1.8 times more frequently mentioned by rural adolescents compared with urban youth. Urban and rural differences were found in the way adolescents classified fast foods (rural adolescents included more traditional foods like chips, sandwiches, and Casado—a dish consisting of rice, black beans, plantains, salad, and a meat), and in purchasing locations (rural adolescents identified neighborhood convenience stores as fast-food restaurants). Living in rural areas, convenience and availability of foods, and the presence of external loci of control were predictors of a higher frequency of fast-food consumption, whereas health awareness predicted a lower frequency. ConclusionsThe development of interventions to reduce fast-food consumption in Costa Rican adolescents should consider not only convenience, but also the availability of these foods where adolescents are more exposed, particularly in rural areas. Interventions such as improving the convenience of healthy fast foods available in school canteens and neighborhood stores, policies to increase the price of unhealthy fast food, and activities to provide adolescents with the skills to increase self-efficacy and reduce the effect of external loci of control are recommended.

Increasing Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Availability in a Low-Income Neighborhood Convenience Store: A Pilot Study

Changing the food environment in low-income communities may be an effective way to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers. This study examines the impacts of a pilot study that increases the availability of fresh produce in a convenience store in a low-income neighborhood not served by a supermarket. Two hypotheses based on theories of technology adoption are tested regarding the lack of fresh produce in low-income neighborhood stores: the first is that high fixed costs present a barrier for store owners in developing produce sections; the second is that there is insufficient consumer demand to cover the variable costs of a fresh produce section. The impacts of changing the food environment on store owners and the consumer response to environmental change are measured through weekly inventories of fresh produce. The results show that fixed costs are one barrier for store owners and that although the consumer response is sufficient to cover the direct costs of operating the produce case, it is not enough to cover variable management costs. Consequently, alternative management paradigms or venues may offer a better method to meet the demand for fresh produce by low-income consumers to promote better health through healthier diets in low-income communities.

Children’s Perceptions of the Social Support of Neighborhood Institutions and Establishments

A study of children’s help-seeking behavior in 5 Cleveland, Ohio (USA) neighborhoods revealed the important role played by particular members of neighborhood institutions and establishments not commonly considered in research on children’s social networks: the school crossing guard, the librarian at the local public library branch, and the store owner/clerk at the neighborhood convenience store. These roles—above and beyond their “position descriptions”—ranged from provisioner of winter clothing in the case of crossing guards to mediator of child disputes in the case of public librarians. Moreover, crossing guards, librarians, and store owners/clerks were identi?ed by some children as resources for dealing with bullies. The implications of these unrecognized supportive roles are discussed.