scholarly journals A corner store intervention in a low-income urban community is associated with increased availability and sales of some healthy foods

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2060-2067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Jung Song ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn ◽  
Miyong Kim ◽  
Sonali Suratkar ◽  
Sangita Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Baltimore City ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Corner Stores ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Potential Strategy

AbstractObjectiveWhile corner store-based nutrition interventions have emerged as a potential strategy to increase healthy food availability in low-income communities, few evaluation studies exist. We present the results of a trial in Baltimore City to increase the availability and sales of healthier food options in local stores.DesignQuasi-experimental study.SettingCorner stores owned by Korean-Americans and supermarkets located in East and West Baltimore.SubjectsSeven corner stores and two supermarkets in East Baltimore received a 10-month intervention and six corner stores and two supermarkets in West Baltimore served as comparison.ResultsDuring and post-intervention, stocking of healthy foods and weekly reported sales of some promoted foods increased significantly in intervention stores compared with comparison stores. Also, intervention storeowners showed significantly higher self-efficacy for stocking some healthy foods in comparison to West Baltimore storeowners.ConclusionsFindings of the study demonstrated that increases in the stocking and promotion of healthy foods can result in increased sales. Working in small corner stores may be a feasible means of improving the availability of healthy foods and their sales in a low-income urban community.

scholarly journals Access to food source and food source use are associated with healthy and unhealthy food-purchasing behaviours among low-income African-American adults in Baltimore City

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1632-1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather D'Angelo ◽  
Sonali Suratkar ◽  
Hee-Jung Song ◽  
Elizabeth Stauffer ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Baltimore City ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Corner Stores ◽  
Source Use ◽  
Purchasing Patterns

AbstractObjectiveAlthough previous research has shown limited availability of healthy food in low-income urban neighbourhoods, the association between food source use and food-purchasing patterns has not yet been examined. We explored food-purchasing patterns in the context of food source use and food source access factors in low-income areas of Baltimore City.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingPredominantly low-income neighbourhoods in East and West Baltimore City.SubjectsA total of 175 low-income African-American adult residents.ResultsSupermarkets and corner stores were the most frequently used food sources. Walking was the main form of transportation used by 57 % of all respondents, 97 % of corner-store shoppers and 49 % of supermarket shoppers. Multiple linear regression models adjusting for demographic factors, type of food source used and transportation type found that corner-store use was associated with obtaining more unhealthy food (P = 0·005), whereas driving to the food source was associated with obtaining more healthy food (P = 0·012).ConclusionsThe large number of corner stores compared with supermarkets in low-income neighbourhoods makes them an easily accessible and frequently used food source for many people. Interventions to increase the availability and promotion of healthy food in highly accessed corner stores in low-income neighbourhoods are needed. Increased access to transportation may also lead to the use of food sources beyond the corner store, and to increased healthy food purchasing.

scholarly journals Local Farmer Perspectives on Improving Produce Distribution Networks in Low-Income Urban Settings

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 149-149
Author(s):  
Kelley Koeppen ◽  
Dahiany Zayas-Toro ◽  
Nina Martin ◽  
Lisa Poirier ◽  
Emma Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Market Expansion ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Corner Stores ◽  
The City ◽  
Local Farmers

Abstract Objectives The Baltimore food system includes small hyper-local urban farms within city limits, larger local farms surrounding the city, and ubiquitous corner stores particularly in low-income neighborhoods of the city. In this system, farmers mainly reach consumers through farmer's markets that are only open for a limited number of hours per week, seasonally, and may not be adequate for meeting the needs of low-income households with low access to fresh produce. To address this gap, our team is working to develop a mobile application (app), called the Baltimore Urban food Distribution (BUD) app, that will provide a platform for farmers to sell their produce directly to corner stores for resale. Our present aims were to: (1) understand farmer's current interactions with corner stores; (2) explore perceived challenges that the BUD app may pose to farmers; and (3) pinpoint how the BUD app can sustainably expand farmers’ market base to include corner stores. Methods After designing a BUD app prototype based on formative research, 1-hour in-depth interviews were conducted with hyper-local and local farmers. Farmers were asked about their current distribution practices within Baltimore and perceived challenges in adopting the app. Farmers were then shown the prototype and asked to provide input on user-friendliness, and interest level in future use of the app. Results Local farmers currently have little to no interaction with corner stores. Interviews revealed that local farmers did not want the responsibility of delivering produce to corner stores due to long travel times. Choosing a central location for pickup by corner store owners, such as a farmer's market, could address this. Farmers liked app features such as product info pages and alerts for deals to support market expansion to corner stores. Social networking opportunities within the app can help foster sustainable relationships among local farmers and corner store owners. Conclusions A stronger distribution network is needed to facilitate increased access to fresh produce in low-income urban settings and strengthen connections between local farmers, corner stores, and consumers. Mobile technology offers a promising approach to improve food distribution between local farmers and corner stores and should be further explored. Funding Sources NHLBI, NIH, award number R34HL145368.

scholarly journals Corner Store Inventories, Purchases, and Strategies for Intervention

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 01-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent A Langellier ◽  
Jeremiah R. Garza ◽  
Michael L. Prelip ◽  
Deborah Glik ◽  
Ron Brookmeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Food Retail Environment

Introduction: An increasingly popular strategy to improve the food retail environment and promote healthy eating in low-income and minority communities is the corner store conversion. This approach involves partnering with small ‘corner’ food stores to expand access to high-quality fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. Methods: We conducted a structured review of the literature to assess inventories and sales in corner stores, as well as to identify intervention strategies employed by corner store conversions. Results: Our review returned eight descriptive studies that discussed corner store inventories and sales, as well as ten intervention studies discussing six unique corner store conversion interventions in the United States, the Marshall Islands, and Canada. Common intervention strategies included: 1) partnering with an existing store, 2) stocking healthy foods, and 3) social marketing and nutrition education. We summarize each strategy and review the effectiveness of overall corner store conversions at changing peoples’ food purchasing, preparation, and consumption behaviors. Conclusions: Consumption of fresh, healthy, affordable foods could be improved by supporting existing retailers to expand their selection of healthy foods and promoting healthy eating at the neighborhood level. Additional corner store conversions should be conducted to determine the effectiveness and importance of specific intervention strategies.

scholarly journals Feasibility of Introducing Mobile Point-of-Sale Technology into Urban Corner Stores for Evaluation of Sales

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 716-716
Author(s):  
Emma Lewis ◽  
Kaitlyn Harper ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Electronic Record ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Baltimore City ◽  
Point Of Sale ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Corner Stores

Abstract Objectives Small urban corner stores are a common venue for public health interventions, but evaluation of these initiatives is hampered by lack of formal electronic record-keeping. Previous research in Baltimore City, Maryland found that corner store owners would be interested in having access to a mobile application which offers point-of-sale features. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a simple mobile point-of-sale tablet (POST) application to track sales of healthy foods and beverages in Baltimore City corner stores. Methods POST is an interactive Android tablet mobile application developed for use by small corner store owners to track unit sales of 14 foods and beverages. Selected items were chosen to represent a balance of healthy and unhealthy options. POST is designed to be intuitive and can be adapted for use in multiple languages. A sample of four geographically and ethnically diverse corner store owners located in Baltimore City were trained to use POST during transactions in which they sold any of the selected items over an 11-day period. The research team elicited user feedback on acceptability, operability, and perceived sustainability. Results Training on the use of POST took five minutes, on average, regardless of store owners’ language differences or familiarity with mobile technology. POST was found to have moderate acceptability, high operability, and moderately high perceived sustainability by corner store owners. All store owners that completed the study reported that POST was easy to use and that they would use it again. Conclusions It is feasible to train corner store owners in low-income areas to use a simplified point-of-sale mobile application for sales monitoring. Future research should explore the value added of POST for public health interventions which rely on formal electronic record-keeping. Funding Sources No funding was received for this research.

scholarly journals Corner Store Purchases in a Low-Income Urban Community in NYC

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1084-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamila Kiszko ◽  
Jonathan Cantor ◽  
Courtney Abrams ◽  
Charmaine Ruddock ◽  
Kelly Moltzen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Corner Store

Dietetic Interns' Exposure to Urban Food Desert Corner Stores: Are Healthy Foods Available to Low-income Clients?

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. A33
Author(s):  
P. Fatzinger McShane ◽  
K. Felter ◽  
D. Ferguson ◽  
E. Glass ◽  
R. Handley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Food Desert ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Corner Stores ◽  
Dietetic Interns

scholarly journals Corner store purchases made by adults, adolescents and children: items, nutritional characteristics and amount spent

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1706-1712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle R Lent ◽  
Stephanie Vander Veur ◽  
Giridhar Mallya ◽  
Tara A McCoy ◽  
Timothy A Sanders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Nutritional Characteristics ◽  
Corner Stores ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Evaluation Staff ◽  
Adolescents And Adults

AbstractObjectiveCorner stores, also known as bodegas, are prevalent in low-income urban areas and primarily stock high-energy foods and beverages. Little is known about individual-level purchases in these locations. The purpose of the present study was to assess corner store purchases (items, nutritional characteristics and amount spent) made by children, adolescents and adults in a low-income urban environment.DesignEvaluation staff used 9238 intercept surveys to directly examine food and beverage purchases.SettingIntercepts were collected at 192 corner stores in Philadelphia, PA, USA.SubjectsParticipants were adult, adolescent and child corner store shoppers.ResultsAmong the 9238 intercept surveys, there were 20 244 items. On average, at each corner store visit, consumers purchased 2·2 (sd 2·1) items (1·3 (sd 2·0) foods and 0·9 (sd 0·9) beverages) that cost $US 2·74 (sd $US 3·52) and contained 2786·5 (sd 4454·2) kJ (666·0 (sd 1064·6) kcal). Whether the data were examined as a percentage of total items purchased or as a percentage of intercepts, the most common corner store purchases were beverages, chips, prepared food items, pastries and candy. Beverage purchases occurred during 65·9 % of intercepts and accounted for 39·2 % of all items. Regular soda was the most popular beverage purchase. Corner store purchases averaged 66·2 g of sugar, 921·1 mg of sodium and 2·5 g of fibre per intercept. Compared with children and adolescents, adults spent the most money and purchased the most energy.ConclusionsUrban corner store shoppers spent almost $US 3·00 for over 2700 kJ (650 kcal) per store visit. Obesity prevention efforts may benefit from including interventions aimed at changing corner store food environments in low-income, urban areas.

scholarly journals Improving Food System Connectivity: Using Mobile Technology to Leverage Community Partnerships and Strengthen Local Food Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 569-569
Author(s):  
Dahiany Zayas Toro ◽  
Kelley Koeppen ◽  
Emma Lewis ◽  
Lisa Poirier ◽  
Nina Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Community Partnerships ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Corner Stores

Abstract Objectives In low-income areas of Baltimore, corner stores are common food sources yet often lack fresh produce. Corner stores are uniquely positioned in the urban food system and offer an opportunity to intervene on the supply chain. However, there is a critical gap in our understanding of the local food distribution network and the best strategies for provisioning corner stores with produce. We sought to inform the development of the Baltimore Urban food Distribution (BUD) mobile application (app), which moves fresh produce from local suppliers to corner stores. We sought to: (1) identify existing networks of local food distribution; (2) explore barriers to increasing fresh produce access within the local food system; and (3) evaluate the potential for sustainability of the BUD app. Methods Secondary data analysis of in-depth interviews (n = 17) conducted in 2016 among local food environment experts, corner store owners, distributors, and wholesalers was completed with the purpose of understanding existing networks of local food distribution, and barriers to increasing food access among stakeholders in the Baltimore food environment. Primary data collection was conducted in 2020–2021 with local stakeholders (n = 10) to confirm and expand upon these findings. Results Existing community distributor partnerships with corner stores and producers contribute to local food networks. Community food distributors with an established connection to wholesalers and urban farmers offer more direct access to fresh produce, but delivery is costly for corner stores. The BUD app could facilitate the arrangement of collective delivery services between distributors, urban farmers and corner stores. Potential barriers include a lack of demand for produce from consumers and a need for community engagement to be incorporated into the app. Conclusions Our findings suggest that enhancing community partnerships is a viable method for distributing fresh foods to local corner stores in Baltimore. Further research is needed to identify ways to increase consumer demand for these foods at the corner store level, and to strengthen the local food distribution system in Baltimore. Funding Sources NHLBI, NIH, award number R34HL145368.

Corner Store Owners as Health Promotion Agents in Low-Income Communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-915
Author(s):  
Rachael D. Dombrowski ◽  
Michele A. Kelley
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Cook County ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Corner Stores

Reports of small business owner motivations for participation in health promotion interventions are rarely reported in the literature, particularly in relation to healthy eating interventions. This study explicates and defines the development of healthy corner stores as community-based enterprises (CBEs) within eight low-income, suburban communities. CBEs are defined as community-oriented small businesses with a common goal to improve population health. The corner stores assessed in this study were participants in Healthy HotSpot (HH), a corner store initiative of the Cook County Department of Public Health. To determine store alignment with the CBE construct, a case study design was used for qualitative inquiry. Participant narratives from store owners ( n = 21), community-based organizations (CBOs; n = 8) and consumer focus groups ( n = 51) were analyzed using an iterative process to determine how store owners aligned with the CBE construct, and how this influenced continuation of health promotion activities. Several key factors influenced the strength of store owners’ alignment with the CBE construct. They included the following: (a) shared ethno-cultural identities and residential area as consumers; (b) positive, trustworthy relationships with consumers; (c) store owners valuing and prioritizing community health, often over profits; and (d) collaboration with a highly engaged CBO in the HH project. Results can assist in theory development and intervention design in working with corner store owners, and other small business owners, as health promotion agents to improve and sustain health outcomes and help ensure the economic vitality of low-income communities.

scholarly journals New York City Youth Liking of Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains Snacks and Corner Store Purchasing Behaviors Are Associated with Willingness to Buy Whole Grain Snack Packs (FS02-04-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia Setiono ◽  
Navika Gangrade ◽  
Tashara Leak
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Whole Grain ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Willingness To Buy ◽  
Corner Stores ◽  
Potential Strategy

Abstract Objectives To examine whether the liking of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain (WG) snacks, as well as current corner store purchasing behaviors, are associated with how much money New York City (NYC) youth are willing to spend on a WG snack pack. A WG snack pack is defined as a WG snack (e.g., pretzels) sold in combination with a fresh fruit or vegetable, and optionally a condiment (e.g., hummus). Methods One-time intercept surveys were conducted with 10–18 year olds (n = 402) visiting one of 34 corner stores participating in the NYC City Harvest Healthy Retail Program. The following independent variables were examined from the survey: 1) liking of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and WG snacks, 2) how many times in the past 7 days youth purchased food/beverages at this store, 3) how much youth spent on food/beverages that day, 4) what foods/beverages youth purchased that day. The dependent variable of interest was how much money youth were willing to spend on a WG snack pack. Linear regressions were used to analyze the associations between the independent variables and dependent variable, adjusted for age and sex of youth, and borough where the store was located. Results Higher liking ratings for fruits, vegetables, and WG snacks combined are associated with willingness to pay more money for WG snack packs (P < 0.001). Youth who visit the corner stores more than 7 times a week were willing to spend at least $1.00 more on WG snack packs compared to those who visit corner stores less frequently (P < 0.01). The amount of money youth were willing to spend on WG snack packs is significantly higher in youth who purchased snacks on the surveyed date compared to those who did not (P = 0.007). There were no associations between how much money youth spent on food/beverages on the surveyed date and how much they were willing to spend on WG snack packs. Conclusions Selling WG snack packs in corner stores is one potential strategy to encourage the consumption of WGs, especially in youth who frequently visit corner stores and purchase snacks. Additional research is needed to explore strategies to market WG snack packs in corner stores. Funding Sources Sub-award from the Duke-UNC USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research. (PI: Tashara M. Leak, PhD, RD).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document