Nudging at the checkout counter – A longitudinal study of the effect of a food repositioning nudge on healthy food choice
The current study is a longitudinal conceptual replication and aimed to investigate the effect of a food repositioning nudge on healthy food choice in a kiosk.
During eight weeks, sales data were collected. The former four weeks formed the baseline phase and the latter four weeks formed the nudge phase where healthy food products were repositioned at the checkout counter display, while unhealthy alternatives remained available elsewhere in the store.
The main variable of interest was the proportion of healthy food products (selected to be repositioned) sold per day. Also exit interviews were administered to gather individual level data about purchases, and awareness and opinions of the nudge.
Results showed that the proportion of selected healthy food products in total food sales was higher in all four nudge weeks than in all four baseline weeks. Individual level data showed that more customers had bought a selected healthy food product in the nudge phase and that customers generally approved of the nudge.
The current study strengthened the empirical evidence base of repositioning healthy food products as an effective and well-accepted nudge.
Keywords: food choices; healthy eating; nudging
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Department of Social, Health and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Publication date: 03 June 2018
Receive new issue alert- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content