USDA: Store formats influence healthy purchases
Shoppers buy more produce and other healthy items at club stores, supermarkets and supercenters than they do at drug stores, convenience stores and dollar stores.
Foods recommended for their nutritional value — dark green vegetables, whole fruits and low-fat dairy products — make up a larger share of food purchases at those formats than they do at others, according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In the study, the USDA aimed to discern how grocery shopping at nontraditional locations affects the healthfulness of purchases. Conventional supermarkets commanded 75.9% of at-home food spending in 1994, but that share had shrunk to 64.9% in 2014.
The Economic Research Service of the USDA calculated “healthy basket” scores for each format by using household purchase data. Club stores came in first with a score of 8.3, supermarkets were second with a score of 8.2, and supercenters were third with a score of 8.0.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, drug stores, convenience stores and dollar stores saw the highest purchases of soft drinks and sweets. Their “healthy basket” scores were between 4.0 and 5.0.
The study found that income levels correlate with shopping at various formats, with low-income consumers more likely to shop at supercenters, convenience stores and dollar stores and high-income consumers more likely to shop at club stores and conventional supermarkets.
