Priming shoppers’ well-being goal in grocery stores: Moving toward healthier food choices?

Harri T. Luomala; Sari Järvinen; Johannes Peltola; Kyösti Pennanen; Jenniina Sihvonen

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104882

Priming shoppers’ well-being goal in grocery stores: Moving toward healthier food choices?

Harri T. Luomala
, Sari Järvinen
, Johannes Peltola
, Kyösti Pennanen^*
, Jenniina Sihvonen

^*Corresponding author for this work

University of Vaasa
University of Helsinki

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

At the times of obesity epidemic, innovative ways to nudge food shoppers toward healthier choices are needed. Key ideas from the conceptual metaphor processing, food symbolism and contextual priming literatures are synthetized to argue for the idea that visual, olfactory and gustatory cues can activate shoppers’ well-being goal and guide their in-store movements and healthy food purchasing behaviors. Two field experiments, separated by an 8-month interval, are conducted in the same grocery store. The results show that priming the well-being goal in real store can push consumers to move toward spots where healthier options are available – materializing also into greater sales of yogurts, vegetables and heart healthy-labeled products. Counterintuitively, the well-being goal activation possibly first facilitate approaching indulgent foods. Yet, the actual sales of palatable foods such as ice cream and minced beef meat may in fact diminish. This research spurs numerable academic and practical implications.

Original language	English
Article number	104882
Number of pages	13
Journal	Food Quality and Preference
Volume	108
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104882
Publication status	Published - May 2023
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

We are grateful to the management of the food store K-Market Puhakka, digital display supply Zeta Display Finland and odor marketing company Sevende Aromas for their collaboration and support. This work was financially supported by TEKES – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation under INKA EAKR Grant for the project 'Food World of the Future' [3075/31/2015]. Data will be made available on request. This work was financially supported by TEKES – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation under INKA EAKR Grant for the project 'Food World of the Future' [3075/31/2015].

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Consumer goal activation
Field experiment
Healthy food sales
Priming
Shopper movements

Access to Document

10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104882Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Priming shoppers{\textquoteright} well-being goal in grocery stores: Moving toward healthier food choices?",

abstract = "At the times of obesity epidemic, innovative ways to nudge food shoppers toward healthier choices are needed. Key ideas from the conceptual metaphor processing, food symbolism and contextual priming literatures are synthetized to argue for the idea that visual, olfactory and gustatory cues can activate shoppers{\textquoteright} well-being goal and guide their in-store movements and healthy food purchasing behaviors. Two field experiments, separated by an 8-month interval, are conducted in the same grocery store. The results show that priming the well-being goal in real store can push consumers to move toward spots where healthier options are available {\textendash} materializing also into greater sales of yogurts, vegetables and heart healthy-labeled products. Counterintuitively, the well-being goal activation possibly first facilitate approaching indulgent foods. Yet, the actual sales of palatable foods such as ice cream and minced beef meat may in fact diminish. This research spurs numerable academic and practical implications.",

keywords = "Consumer goal activation, Field experiment, Healthy food sales, Priming, Shopper movements",

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note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to the management of the food store K-Market Puhakka, digital display supply Zeta Display Finland and odor marketing company Sevende Aromas for their collaboration and support. This work was financially supported by TEKES {\textendash} the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation under INKA EAKR Grant for the project 'Food World of the Future' [3075/31/2015]. Data will be made available on request. ",

year = "2023",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104882",

language = "English",

volume = "108",

journal = "Food Quality and Preference",

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T2 - Moving toward healthier food choices?

AU - Luomala, Harri T.

AU - Järvinen, Sari

AU - Peltola, Johannes

AU - Pennanen, Kyösti

AU - Sihvonen, Jenniina

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to the management of the food store K-Market Puhakka, digital display supply Zeta Display Finland and odor marketing company Sevende Aromas for their collaboration and support. This work was financially supported by TEKES – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation under INKA EAKR Grant for the project 'Food World of the Future' [3075/31/2015]. Data will be made available on request.

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - At the times of obesity epidemic, innovative ways to nudge food shoppers toward healthier choices are needed. Key ideas from the conceptual metaphor processing, food symbolism and contextual priming literatures are synthetized to argue for the idea that visual, olfactory and gustatory cues can activate shoppers’ well-being goal and guide their in-store movements and healthy food purchasing behaviors. Two field experiments, separated by an 8-month interval, are conducted in the same grocery store. The results show that priming the well-being goal in real store can push consumers to move toward spots where healthier options are available – materializing also into greater sales of yogurts, vegetables and heart healthy-labeled products. Counterintuitively, the well-being goal activation possibly first facilitate approaching indulgent foods. Yet, the actual sales of palatable foods such as ice cream and minced beef meat may in fact diminish. This research spurs numerable academic and practical implications.

AB - At the times of obesity epidemic, innovative ways to nudge food shoppers toward healthier choices are needed. Key ideas from the conceptual metaphor processing, food symbolism and contextual priming literatures are synthetized to argue for the idea that visual, olfactory and gustatory cues can activate shoppers’ well-being goal and guide their in-store movements and healthy food purchasing behaviors. Two field experiments, separated by an 8-month interval, are conducted in the same grocery store. The results show that priming the well-being goal in real store can push consumers to move toward spots where healthier options are available – materializing also into greater sales of yogurts, vegetables and heart healthy-labeled products. Counterintuitively, the well-being goal activation possibly first facilitate approaching indulgent foods. Yet, the actual sales of palatable foods such as ice cream and minced beef meat may in fact diminish. This research spurs numerable academic and practical implications.

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KW - Shopper movements

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ER -

Priming shoppers’ well-being goal in grocery stores: Moving toward healthier food choices?

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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