A slow road from meat dominance to more sustainable diets: an analysis of purchase preferences

Background: Achieving a sustainable and healthy diet requires increased replacement of red meat with more sustainable foods. There is a call for novel methodologies to assess the potential of different interventions and policies in enhancing the transition from the current to more sustainable choices. Objective: We aimed to characterize consumer clusters with similar preferences in protein sources, to compare the purchase prices of these foods, and to identify ongoing transitions from one protein source to another. Design: Grocery purchase data with individual attributes on 29,437 consenting loyalty card holders were analyzed over 2.3 year period. We designed a sequence analysis to group participants to clusters with similar purchase preferences over the follow-up period and to estimate transition probabilities between preferences. We studied the determinants of prevalent purchase profiles by ordinal logistic models. Results: We identified six participant profiles with similar preferences in four protein sources: red meat, poultry, fish, and plant-based foods. Red meat dominated the purchase preferences and showed the highest persistence over time. The majority (70%) of the participants demonstrated somewhat mixed purchase profiles. A step-by-step transition from red meat towards plant-based food preference seems most likely via poultry and fish. Overall, low income was not a barrier to a more sustainable purchase profile, while price may deter the purchase of fish. The most important resources in choosing more sustainable profiles were education and stage of family life. Conclusions: Societal incentives for sustainable food choices seem most crucial at transition stages of life course and for the less educated. Here we also demonstrate that grocery purchase data offer a valuable tool for monitoring the progressive transition towards a healthy and sustainable food system.

“Hey Alexa–order groceries for me” – the effect of consumer–VAI emotional attachment on satisfaction and repurchase intention

Purpose Given the growing prominence of voice-activated artificial intelligent devices (VAIs) as the strategic market-facing technology for grocery purchases, this article aims to bring together theories on anthropomorphism, trust, emotional attachment, self-connection and self-disclosure in one conceptual framework establishing that consumer–VAI relationship has significant implications for grocery purchase satisfaction and intention to repurchase using VAIs. Design/methodology/approach The study tested seven hypotheses through a survey-based approach comprising of two studies. Findings The study empirically supports VAI anthropomorphism and trust in VAIs as predictors of consumer–VAI emotional attachment and establishes the moderating role of consumer self-disclosure. Consumer–VAI self-connection resulting from emotional attachment results in grocery purchase satisfaction and intention to repurchase using VAIs. Research limitations/implications The article offers a novel perspective on consumer–VAI relationships and the use of VAIs for grocery purchases. It establishes an agentic role of consumers when ordering groceries using VAIs, creating a deeper understanding of how consumer–VAI emotional attachment results in extensions of consumers’ self-identity, resulting in purchase satisfaction and repurchase intention using VAIs. Practical implications Establishing a consumer–VAI relationship, the article brings out the strategic importance of VAIs for marketers in grocery purchases and repurchases, which can be extended to other purchases. Originality/value The article offers a new perspective on establishing VAIs as strategically important market-facing devices by examining consumer relationships with VAIs and offering valuable insights on how consumer emotional attachment with VAIs results in satisfaction and intention to repurchase using VAIs.

A slow road from meat dominance to more sustainable diets: an analysis of purchase preferences (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Achieving a sustainable and healthy diet requires increased replacement of red meat with more sustainable foods. There is a call for novel methodologies to assess the potential of different interventions and policies in enhancing the transition from the current to more sustainable choices. OBJECTIVE We aimed to characterize consumer clusters with similar preferences in protein sources, to compare the purchase prices of these foods, and to identify ongoing transitions from one protein source to another. METHODS Grocery purchase data with individual attributes on 29,437 consenting loyalty card holders were analyzed over 2.3 year period. We designed a sequence analysis to group participants to clusters with similar purchase preferences over the follow-up period and to estimate transition probabilities between preferences. We studied the determinants of prevalent purchase profiles by ordinal logistic models. RESULTS We identified six participant profiles with similar preferences in four protein sources: red meat, poultry, fish, and plant-based foods. Red meat dominated the purchase preferences and showed the highest persistence over time. The majority (70%) of the participants demonstrated somewhat mixed purchase profiles. A step-by-step transition from red meat towards plant-based food preference seems most likely via poultry and fish. Overall, low income was not a barrier to a more sustainable purchase profile, while price may deter the purchase of fish. The most important resources in choosing more sustainable profiles were education and stage of family life. CONCLUSIONS Societal incentives for sustainable food choices seem most crucial at transition stages of life course and for the less educated. Here we also demonstrate that grocery purchase data offer a valuable tool for monitoring the progressive transition towards a healthy and sustainable food system. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable.

Do we eat what we buy? Relative validity of grocery purchase data as an indicator of food consumption in the LoCard study

The validity of grocery purchase data as an indicator of food consumption is uncertain. This paper investigated 1) the associations between food consumption and grocery purchases using automatically accumulated purchase data, and 2) whether the strength of the associations differed in certain sub-populations. The participants filled in a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and a major Finnish retailer issued us with their loyalty-card holders grocery purchase data covering the 1- and 12-month periods preceding the FFQ. We used gamma statistics to study the association between thirds/quarters of FFQ and grocery purchase data (frequency/amount) separately for 18 food groups among the 11,983 participants. Stratified analyses were conducted for subgroups based on gender, family structure, educational level, household income and self-estimated share of purchases from the retailer. We also examined the proportion of participants classified into the same, adjacent, subsequent and opposite categories using the FFQ and purchase data. The gammas ranged from 0.12 (cooked vegetables) to 0.75 (margarines). Single households had stronger gammas than two-adult families, and participants with >60% of purchases from the retailer had stronger gammas. For most food groups, the proportion of participants classified into the same or adjacent category was >70%. Most discrepancies were observed for fresh/cooked vegetables, berries, and vegetable oils. Even though the two methods did not categorize all food groups similarly, we conclude that grocery purchase data are able to describe food consumption in an adult population, and future studies should consider purchase data as a resource-saving and moderately valid measure in large samples.

Food Waste and Its Association with Diet Quality of Foods Purchased in South Florida

The objective of this study was to explore the associations between food waste and the diet quality of foods purchased and with grocery purchasing behaviors. This was a cross-sectional study among 109 primary household food providers conducting primary shopping. Participants were recruited outside of local grocery stores and were asked to complete a survey assessing amounts of avoidable food waste and grocery purchasing behaviors. The diet quality of the foods purchased was assessed from grocery receipts using the Grocery Purchase Quality Index-2016 (GPQI-2016). Variables were associated using linear regression, analysis of covariance, and point biserial correlations. We found that fresh fruits (63%) and leafy greens (70%) were the foods that were the most wasted. The GPQI-2016 total score was significantly inversely associated with the total amount of food wasted (β = −0.63; 95% CI: −1.14,−0.12) after adjusting for important confounders. The reason “food past the date printed on the package” was directly correlated with food wasted (r = 0.40; p < 0.01) but inversely correlated with GPQI-2016 score (r = −0.21; p = 0.04). Food wasted, but not the GPQI-2016 score, was significantly higher among those who grocery shop 2–4 times per week compared to 1 time every 1–2 weeks (p = 0.02). In conclusion, food waste is inversely associated with diet quality and directly associated with grocery purchasing frequency.

Participant Characteristics Contributed to Variable Responsiveness to Personalized Healthy Food Incentives—A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial

Objectives The recently completed Smart Cart Study, designed to promote healthier food purchases, found that personalized healthy food incentives modestly improved mean grocery purchase quality, with considerable variation in participant responsiveness. The present study explored participant characteristics associated with variable responsiveness to this healthy food incentives intervention. Methods A secondary analysis examined the Smart Cart Study, where participants received personalized weekly coupons during in the intervention and occasional generic coupons during the control period (n = 209). The outcome variable was 3-month changes in Grocery Purchase Quality Index (GPQI), a validated score calculated from purchasing data that compares the % spending relative to recommended spending to reflect the dietary quality of grocery purchases, in the intervention minus control periods. Potential exposure variables were selected a priori based on a literature review included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, general health status, food literacy, food neophobia, nutritional self-efficacy and eating perception. Multivariable linear regressions evaluated characteristics that predict changes in GPQI. Stepwise model selection guided variable retention with specification of pr = 0.2. Analyses were conducted in Stata 16.1. Results Participants were predominately female (89.5%), Non-Hispanic white (94.1%), higher income (50.3% ≥$100K/year), higher education (48.4% &gt;bachelor's degree), with a mean age of 55.3. In the final model, changes in % spending on couponed foods (β = 15.58, P &lt; 0.001) and food neophobia (β = −1.77, P = 0.047) predicted changes in GPQI, while other predictors were not significant. The final model explained 13% of the variation in GPQI changes. Conclusions Greater % spending on couponed foods was associated with higher GPQI while food neophobia was associated with lower GPQI. Given that food neophobia may prevent participants from increasing their spending on new couponed healthy foods, future personalized couponing interventions should explore strategies to address food neophobia, potentially through free samples of new foods or providing coupons for familiar healthy foods, especially in diverse populations. Funding Sources The Smart Cart Study was funded by the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research.

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak on Grocery Stocking Behaviour in India: A Pattern Mining Approach

The outbreak and worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent human memory and has affected normal lifestyle of people worldwide. The lockdown restrictions imposed by countries across the globe created concerns about food availability and this affected grocery purchase and stocking behaviour of households. Researchers worldwide started analysing the nature and trend of changes in the behaviour and effect of socio-demographic factors on the change. However, limited studies have been undertaken in the Indian context. Also, how family structure influences panic buying behaviour has not been studied in detail so far. This work studies in detail whether the pandemic outbreak affected grocery purchase trends of Indian households in terms of the duration for which grocery purchase was being made, amount spent on grocery shopping per purchase and type of grocery items preferred using an online household survey of 506 families from all over India. Also, the influence of household income, family structure and grocery availability and delivery issues on grocery stocking behaviour has been studied in detail using Apriori algorithm. It was observed that panic buying is a reality, and quantity stocked and amount spent per purchase changed significantly after outbreak of the pandemic. Also, family income, size and presence of elderly and children in the household were found to affect buying patterns. Though it is difficult to predict long-term effect on behaviour change, with fear of prolonged pandemic situation and many countries resuming lockdown for a second time, this study is expected to be effective for design of supply policies of essentials in the new normal situation.

Consumer E-Loyalty for E-Grocery Shopping in a Metro City of India

This study focuses on the e-loyalty of the grocery consumers. Understanding online behavior in developing countries is an emerging issue in these days. The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of antecedents of flow on attitude and perceived ease of use in the context of online grocery purchase behavior in a developing country perspective. Further, the study also examines the role of attitude and perceived ease of use in building e-loyalty. The present study analyzes the data of 250 respondents collected through an online survey. The data were analyzed employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equational modeling (SEM). The results show that the flow variables (concentration and enjoyment) have a positive but differential effect on attitude towards online grocery purchase. However, both concentration and enjoyment were equally important in influencing the perceived ease of use. The study also found that attitude positively influences the e-loyalty, and perceived ease of use influences both attitude and e-loyalty.

The utility of household Grocery Purchase Quality Index scores as an individual diet quality metric

The validated Grocery Purchase Quality Index (GPQI) reflects concordance between household grocery purchases and US dietary recommendations. However, it is unclear whether GPQI scores calculated from partial purchasing records validly reflect individual-level diet quality. Within the 9-month randomized controlled Smart Cart study examining the effect of targeted coupons on grocery purchase quality (n=209), this secondary analysis examined concordance between the GPQI (range 0-75, scaled to 100) calculated from 3-months of loyalty-card linked partial (≥50%) household grocery purchasing data and individual-level Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores at baseline and 3-months calculated from food frequency questionnaires. HEI and GPQI concordance was assessed with overall and demographic-stratified partially-adjusted correlations; covariate-adjusted percent score differences, cross-classification, and weighted kappa coefficients assessed concordance across GPQI tertiles (T). Participants were mostly middle-aged (55.4(13.9) years), female (90.3%), from non-smoking households (96.4%), without children (70.7%). Mean GPQI (54.8(9.1)%) scores were lower than HEI scores (baseline: 73.2(9.1)%, 3-months: 72.4(9.4)%), and moderately correlated (baseline r=0.41 vs. 3-month r=0.31, p<0.001). Correlations were stronger among participants with ≤ bachelor’s degree, obesity, and children. Concordance was highest in T3. Participants with high (T3) vs. low (T1) GPQI scores had 7.3-10.6 higher odds of having HEI scores >80% at both timepoints. Weighted kappas (k=0.25) indicated moderate agreement between scores. Household-level GPQI derived from partial grocery purchasing data were moderately correlated with self-reported intake, indicating their promise for evaluating diet quality. Partial purchasing data appears to moderately reflect individual diet quality and may be useful in interventions monitoring changes in diet quality.