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Can online shopping incentives bolster food security?

Digital programmes providing financial support for consumers on low incomes can increase healthy food purchases and strengthen food security, according to US researchers.

Offering incentives to consumers online shopping for food can break down barriers to healthy food accessibility for, particularly for households in more rural areas where access to supermarkets is limited, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior suggests.

New York University researchers identified how one food programme in the city’s Bronx borough has been a valuable tool for young children’s caregivers.

They conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of an online grocery intervention designed to increase fruit and vegetable purchases and enhance food security among adults with children eligible for the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) programme.

SNAP provides financial assistance to US consumers on low incomes, offering them food benefits that enable access to nutritious produce that supports their health and wellbeing.

Tackling food insecurity

Achieving affordability and food security is a significant issue for households, particularly those on low incomes, as budgets become increasingly stretched.

“Healthy foods often cost more, leaving families little choice but cheaper, ultra-processed options,” Angela Trude, assistant professor of nutrition at New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, told Ingredients Network.

Extending the SNAP programme to include online food purchases has helped US consumers find and purchase from various food markets, she said, adding: “Online SNAP expands access to healthier products at competitive prices.”

The study was designed to address barriers to purchasing healthy foods online, including a lack of awareness of SNAP benefits, high online delivery fees, and a lack of trust in consumers to choose high-quality products.

“Families embraced SNAP online, but delivery fees, mistrust in produce selection, and clunky search functions held them back. Our programme directly tackles these pain points,” said Trude.

Online incentives shape purchasing habits

“We wanted to launch a pilot programme to test whether different incentives would encourage families living in urban, low-income communities to make healthier purchases with their SNAP dollars,” Trude explained.

Offering caregivers of young children online shopping incentives led to a rise in healthy food purchases within households and a decrease in food insecurity, the research showed. Almost half (47%) of participants set up an online grocery account after participating in the programme.

Before the interventions detailed in the study, households participating in the food programme spent about one-fifth (20.2%) of their grocery budget on fruits, vegetables, and legumes. After the programme, this rose to an average of 21.6%.

Furthermore, using a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) assessment tool, participants found a decrease of 0.6 points relating to household food insecurity.

Expanding research to prove effectiveness

The findings support widespread positive attitudes towards the intervention programme. The researchers reported that nearly all (90%) of participants found the programme’s video tutorial for creating an online account and placing an order useful.

In addition, more than four in five (82%) found text messages that provided intervention materials and information on the process to be useful. Participants also said that receiving grocery lists and waivers for delivery fees was helpful.

The pilot study analysed data from a small sample of 59 participants, all of whom were from the Bronx. Due to its small sample size, further research is needed to clarify the broader potential impact of providing households and individual consumers with incentives to shop online.

“Even in this small pilot, seeing families gain more reliable access to healthy foods is deeply encouraging, and drives us to expand this work,” said Trude.

Following the initial study and after receiving new funding from the National Institutes of Health, the researchers plan to continue assessing the effectiveness of a full intervention by working with families, community organisations, retailers and policymakers.

“We want to identify the most effective combination of strategies to improve food and nutrition security, as well as approaches that are affordable and scalable through policy and programmes,” Trude said.