Sales promotions and food consumption

Abstract

Sales promotions are widely used to market food to adults, children, and youth. Yet, in contrast to advertising, practically no attention has been paid to their impacts on dietary behaviors, or to how they may be used more effectively to promote healthy eating. This review explores the available literature on the subject. The objective is to identify if and what literature exists, examine the nature of this literature, and analyze what can be learned from it about the effects of sales promotions on food consumption. The review finds that while sales promotions lead to significant sales increases over the short-term, this does not necessarily lead to changes in food-consumption patterns. Nevertheless, there is evidence from econometric modeling studies indicating that sales promotions can influence consumption patterns by influencing the purchasing choices of consumers and encouraging them to eat more. These effects depend on the characteristics of the food product, sales promotion, and consumer. The complexity of the effects means that sales promotions aiming to encourage consumption of nutritious foods need to be carefully designed. These conclusions are based on studies that use mainly sales data as a proxy for dietary intake. The nutrition (and economics) research communities should add to this existing body of research to provide evidence on the impact of sales promotions on dietary intake and related behaviors. This would help support the development of a sales promotion environment conducive to healthy eating.

Marketing foods to children through product packaging: prolific, unhealthy and misleading

“…The finding of similar types and numbers of marketing techniques used to promote core and non-core foods suggests that companies do not bias marketing towards non-core foods only; this may be exploited in the future for the social marketing of core foods to children (25) . These findings concur with previous studies (9,10,(12)(13)(14)16,17) , which found higher proportions of non-core foods marketed to children compared with core-foods, notwithstanding differences in research methods between studies. Children are known to be highly attracted to cartoon characters, celebrities and animals (26) , and to prefer foods with cartoon packaging, over foods with plain packaging iconography (27) .…”

“…Every aisle and section of the Woolworths supermarket at Westfield Marion was assessed for child-oriented products using the following five criteria, which were adapted from previous studies (10,14,18) . To be included in the present study, products had to meet at least two of the following: Units of data A unit of data was a branded product which met the criteria for 'child-oriented'.…”

Let’s talk about health: shoppers’ discourse regarding health while food shopping

“…Referring to what should be purchased or consumed was considered by a number of shoppers who spoke with an 'I know I should' mentality. Previous research has noted that sales promotions can encourage a change in consumers' consumption patterns (70) . It has been reported that an interplay of shoppers' influences, personal systems, value negotiations and strategies was found to affect their purchase-based decisions (8) .…”

Food at checkouts in non-food stores: a cross-sectional study of a large indoor shopping mall

“…Further consideration of where and when it is and is not appropriate to market less healthy foods to children may be valuable. Price promotion leads to a significant increase in sales (20,21) . The higher proportion of less healthy foods on promotion may steer customers to choose these over any healthier options available.…”

“…The balance of healthy to less healthy foods displayed at checkouts influences customers' behaviour, with healthy foods being more likely to be selected when they are in the majority (19) . Price promotions are also known to influence purchasing (20,21) and may further contribute to impulse purchases.…”