Designing online grocery stores to support healthy eating for weight loss

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to identify features to include in online grocery stores to support healthful food purchasing by those striving to lose weight. Design: A Value Proposition Design Approach was used to gain shopper insights, devise potential online grocery store features, and obtain feedback on these features. Setting: Telephone interviews were conducted to gain insight into shoppers’ needs and perceptions. Results were used by the research team to identify potential online grocery shopping features that may support healthful purchase decisions, and interviews were conducted with a different sample of shoppers to gather feedback on features. Participants: Insight (n=25) and feedback (n=25) interviews were conducted with convenience samples of adults trying to lose weight. Results: Participants were primarily female, white, college educated, and with obesity or overweight. Online grocery features devised by the research team based on findings from the insight interviews included a: 1) shopping cart nutrition rating tool; 2) healthy meal planning tool; 3) interactive healthy eating inspiration aisle; and 4) healthy shopping preference settings option. Findings from the feedback interviews indicated that the healthy meal planning tool, healthy shopping preference settings option and shopping cart nutrition rating tool features were positively rated by most participants. Conclusions: There are multiple features grocers should consider including in their online stores to attract and support customers striving to eat healthy for weight loss.

Could Food Delivery Involve Certified Quality Products? An Innovative Case Study during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Italy

“…The consumption of snacks, fast food [26], ultra-processed foods, and comfort food (richer in fat and sugar) has increased in the last year [30] due to the effects of the staying at home situation and heightened anxiety about the pandemic. Several simple actions could prevent impulse buying of unhealthy products, such as making minimally processed foods easily visible and ultra-processed one less visible [31] or designing online grocery stores to support healthy eating [32].…”

“…and ultra-processed one less visible [31] or designing online grocery stores to support healthy eating [32].…”

Digital Food Retail: Public Health Opportunities

“…Consumers are interested in services that are convenient, timely, and provide added value like health features. There are opportunities for retailers to optimize user experiences, retain, and attract patrons while supporting healthy eating by implementing added features to online platforms: shopping cart rating tool, healthy meal planning tool, settings for healthy shopping [31]. Digital food retail services provide cost-effective platforms to implement behavioral interventions at the point of purchase [32].…”