TY - JOUR
T1 - Retailer-led healthy pricing interventions
T2 - A pilot study within aquatic and recreation centres in Victoria, Australia
AU - Huse, Oliver
AU - Orellana, Liliana
AU - Ferguson, Megan
AU - Palermo, Claire
AU - Jerebine, Alethea
AU - Zorbas, Christina
AU - Boelsen-Robinson, Tara
AU - Blake, Miranda R.
AU - Peeters, Anna
AU - Brimblecombe, Julie
AU - Moodie, Marj
AU - Backholer, Kathryn
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) innovation grant (Grant No. 00032151). K.B. is supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship (Grant No. 102047).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - This study aimed to pilot the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of three co-developed healthy food and beverage pricing interventions in a community retail setting. Aquatic and recreation centres in Victoria, Australia were recruited to co-develop and pilot pricing interventions within their onsite cafés, for 15 weeks from January 2019. A mixed method intervention evaluation was conducted. Interviews were conducted with food retail managers to understand the factors perceived to influence implementation, maintenance and effectiveness. Customer surveys assessed support for, and awareness of, interventions. Interrupted time series analysis estimated the impact of pricing interventions on food and beverage sales. Three centres each implemented a unique intervention: (i) discounted healthy bundles ('healthy combination deals'), (ii) offering deals at specific times of the day ('healthy happy hours') and (iii) increasing the prices of selected unhealthy options and reducing the prices of selected healthier options ('everyday pricing changes'). Café team leaders did not identify any significant challenges to implementation or maintenance of interventions, though low staff engagement was identified as potentially influencing the null effect on sales for healthy combination deals and healthy happy hours interventions. Customers reported low levels of awareness and high levels of support for interventions. Everyday pricing changes resulted in a significant decrease in sales of unhealthy items during the intervention period, though also resulted in a decrease in café revenue. Co-developed healthy food and beverage pricing interventions can be readily implemented with broad customer support. Everyday pricing changes have demonstrated potential effectiveness at reducing unhealthy purchases.
AB - This study aimed to pilot the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of three co-developed healthy food and beverage pricing interventions in a community retail setting. Aquatic and recreation centres in Victoria, Australia were recruited to co-develop and pilot pricing interventions within their onsite cafés, for 15 weeks from January 2019. A mixed method intervention evaluation was conducted. Interviews were conducted with food retail managers to understand the factors perceived to influence implementation, maintenance and effectiveness. Customer surveys assessed support for, and awareness of, interventions. Interrupted time series analysis estimated the impact of pricing interventions on food and beverage sales. Three centres each implemented a unique intervention: (i) discounted healthy bundles ('healthy combination deals'), (ii) offering deals at specific times of the day ('healthy happy hours') and (iii) increasing the prices of selected unhealthy options and reducing the prices of selected healthier options ('everyday pricing changes'). Café team leaders did not identify any significant challenges to implementation or maintenance of interventions, though low staff engagement was identified as potentially influencing the null effect on sales for healthy combination deals and healthy happy hours interventions. Customers reported low levels of awareness and high levels of support for interventions. Everyday pricing changes resulted in a significant decrease in sales of unhealthy items during the intervention period, though also resulted in a decrease in café revenue. Co-developed healthy food and beverage pricing interventions can be readily implemented with broad customer support. Everyday pricing changes have demonstrated potential effectiveness at reducing unhealthy purchases.
KW - community retail
KW - healthy food and beverage pricing interventions
KW - nutrition
KW - program evaluation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104899364&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/heapro/daaa074
DO - 10.1093/heapro/daaa074
M3 - Article
C2 - 32830250
AN - SCOPUS:85104899364
VL - 36
SP - 430
EP - 448
JO - Health Promotion International
JF - Health Promotion International
SN - 0957-4824
IS - 2
ER -