Sales influence consumer food shopping habits

(HealthDay)—Consumers are more likely to buy high-calorie foods (HCF), but not low-calorie foods (LCF) on sale, according to a study published in the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.

Etienne J. Phipps, Ph.D., from Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the correlations of discounted prices on supermarket purchases of HCF and more healthful LCFs. They analyzed electronic supermarket purchase data from 82 low-income (primarily African-American female) shoppers for households with children and qualitative data from focus groups with demographically similar shoppers.

In analyses of 6,493 food purchase transactions over 65 weeks, the researchers found that the odds of buying foods on sale versus at full price were higher for grain-based snacks (odds ratio [OR], 6.6), sweet snacks (OR, 5.9), and sugar-sweetened beverages (OR, 2.6; all P < 0.001). There was no association for savory snacks. For LCFs, the odds of buying foods on sale versus full price were not higher (P ≥ 0.07). For all HCFs and for fruits and vegetables, spending increased as percentage saved from full price increased (P ≤ 0.002), without controlling for quantities purchased. The lure of sale items encouraged stocking up, according to focus group participants.

"Strategies that shift supermarket sales promotions from price reductions for HCF to price reductions for LCF might help prevent obesity by decreasing purchases of HCF," conclude the authors.