A Healthier Way to Check Out at
the Grocery Store
Mary Dunne Stewart
Lee Taylor-Penn
Valerie Waters
Mary Dunne Stewart
Executive Director
Greater Richmond Fit4Kids
History of Fit4Kids
• Started in 2010 by the
Sports Backers with
support from The
Robins Foundation
• Conducted
comprehensive needs
assessment to
determine community
needs
•
Two years of
research, fundraising,
and collaboration
led to September
2012 program launch
•
In July 2012,
launched the
Greater Richmond
Coalition for Healthy
Children
The Greater Richmond Coalition
for Healthy Children
•
•
Funded by the Virginia Foundation for Healthy
Youth
Broad-based steering committee
•
•
Bon Secours, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU,
MARTIN’S Supermarket, Richmond City Health District,
COACH, Henrico Child Health Coalition, Slow Food
RVA, Fit4Kids
Implementing programs from the Institute of
Medicine’s list of Promising Practices for the
Prevention and Reduction of Childhood Obesity
The Problem of
Childhood Obesity
• The cause of childhood obesity hasn’t changed –
too many calories and not enough exercise
• But, the environment has changed:
• Decreased emphasis on physical education
• Limited access to healthy food, increased access to
high-energy-dense foods (sugar sweetened
beverages)
• Food marketing
• Lack of access to physical activity and safe/appealing
places to play
The Genesis of Healthy
Ideas Lanes
• Desired to impact children’s health through
environmental changes
• Partnered with the Richmond City Health
District
• Similar projects in Indiana and West Virginia
• Research demonstrated a need for this
project
Studies have shown that strategies aimed at
changing the grocery store environment, affect
what shoppers purchase. 60% of purchase
decisions in the supermarket are unplanned or spur
of the moment.
In a recent national survey of shoppers, about 66%
said they were actively looking for ways to improve
their health and wellness by making healthy
choices when shopping. But of those shoppers,
only half agreed that their supermarket helped
them find the healthy options.
—Harnessing the Power of Supermarkets to Help
Reverse Childhood Obesity (The Food Trust & RWJF)
Partnership with MARTIN’S
• A natural partner, because they were
already engaged in the ad hoc group
that eventually became The Greater
Richmond Coalition for Healthy Children
• An In-Store Nutritionist on staff serving the
Richmond area
• 23 stores throughout the Richmond area
The mission of the Richmond
City Health District is to
promote healthy living, protect
the environment, prevent
disease and prepare the
community for disasters.
Lee Taylor-Penn
Project Coordinator
Richmond City Health District
Researched Similar Projects
4/11/2012 - 5/10/2012
Planned Kick Off Event
7/16/2012 - 8/15/2012
9/17/2012 - 9/29/2012
9/24/2012 - 9/28/2012
Surveyed Customers
Surveyed Store Management
Hired Project
Coordinator at RCHD
4/11/2012
Initial Meeting with
Valerie
Grant Ends
5/10/2012
9/30/2012
Received Grant
4/2/2012
Martin's Agrees to Pilot
Project
Kick-Off Event
Final Grant Report Due
5/30/2012
8/16/2012
10/15/2012
2012
2012
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Researched Best Practices
•
Contacted the
CDC
•
•
•
Worked with West
Virginia through
“Communities
Putting Prevention
to Work” grant
Provided best
practices
Shared road blocks
•
Contacted Project
Coordinator in WV
• Change the
Future WV
project
• Shared project
materials
• Step-by-step
process
Valerie Waters, RD
In Store Nutritionist
Martin’s Supermarket
Martin’s Agreement
•
We jumped at the opportunity to be the pioneer
store on this project!
•
292,000 is a conservative estimate of people who
will be reached in one year. This is 100 people a day
passing through 2 healthy check out aisles in 8
grocery stores.
•
Eight stores were selected, 2 check out lanes in
each store were converted to Healthy Ideas Check
Out Lanes
•
•
•
4 stores located in the City of Richmond
1 store that has a high percentage of customers from the
City of Richmond
3 stores where Martin’s Nutritionist is located
Martin’s Team Progress
•
•
•
Project began in May 2012
Martin’s project manager was selected in addition
to Health District project manager
Martin’s Team of category managers
•
•
•
Produce, General Management, Magazines, Marketing/PR,
Nutritionist
Corporate store visits to view potential aisles/racks
Weekly conference calls, including Health District
project manager
Martin’s Team Action Plan
•
•
•
•
•
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Established guidelines for product selection
Established approved product list and set the
planograms
Communicated with store management throughout
the process
Installed signage
Reset aisles with Healthy Ideas products
Currently evaluating pilot expansion
Product Selection
•
Snack foods met the following nutrition
standards (per package):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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No more than 220 calories
No more than 35% total calories from fat, excluding
nut based products
Less than 10% total calories from saturated fat
No more than .5 grams trans fat
No more than 35% of calories from sugar, excluding
fruit
No more than 240 milligrams of sodium
Contains no artificial sweeteners in all food products
Accepted: sugar free gum and mints.
Product Selection
•
What is on the shelf?
•
Snacks:
•
•
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Several different nutrition bars, including KIND bars,
Odwalla, and Clif Jr. bars
Baked Lays chips, Special K Pop Chips, Pistachios
Fresh apples, bananas and freeze fried fruit packages
Fig Newtons cookies, 100% fruit snacks
•
•
Water, Vitamin Water Zero, SoBe 0 Calorie, Propel
100% juice, V8 juice
•
Health/Fitness, Healthy Cooking, Wellness, Women’s and
Men’s Health, Gardening, Homes, Richmond magazines
•
•
•
Beverages:
Magazines:
Kick-Off Event
•
•
•
•
Invited local community leaders, team mascots,
and politicians
Sent press release to TV Stations, newspaper
and other publications
Offered samples of 3 products offered in the
lane
Received press from CBS6, Richmond Times
Dispatch, RVANews & four online grocer
publications
Evaluation Measures
Output
•
•
•
Customers’ overall
satisfaction with the aisles
Increase in purchase of
healthy items at the
checkout
Store managers’
satisfaction with the new
checkout aisles and
commitment to the
project
Outcome Measures
•
•
Attitude and behavior
changes related to
healthy checkout aisles
Attitude of store
managers toward project
Customer Feedback
•
•
Administered 100 customer surveys in each of the 8
Martin’s stores
Of the 26% of customers that were familiar with the
Healthy Ideas lane…
•
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•
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The most popular food items:
•
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14% used the lane “Every chance I get”
45% used the lane “Occasionally”
22% used the lane “Rarely”
17% “Never” use the lane
Apples, Bananas, Flavored Water
32% of customers reported that the addition of the lane
affected their choice to shop at Martin’s
I wish these were used when my
children were little.
—Customer
Having more aisles would be
more beneficial.
—Customer
I find the display of junk food near
check-out lanes to be a very
negative aspect of shopping. It is
hard enough without that
temptation.
—Customer
Store Management
Feedback
•
Surveyed 1 store employee from each store
•
•
•
Initial reaction to the project?
•
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7 store managers
1 lead check-out coach
3 of the 8 felt “Skeptical”
5 of the 8 felt “Excited”
50% believed that the sales from the Healthy
Ideas lane had increased the overall check-out
lane sales
Good options for the front end
check-out—great focus for the
community to have a healthy
choice. People who seek
candies and soft drinks have
many options, but not so for the
healthier choice in this selected
location.
–Store Manager
I like the idea…particularly that it
affords parents with children an
alternative.
–Store Manager
Product is selling (That is the best
response).
–Store Manager
Healthy Checkout Aisles
Success!
Successes
•
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Offer healthier snack options
when checking out
Give back to our customers
who desire health & wellness
programs
Expose customers to
healthier choices
throughout the store
Receive positive feedback
in the stores from customers
and store management
Opportunities
•
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Traditional check out
aisle vendors slow to
understand program
Communication and
coordination
In stock position
Affect on sales hard to
quantify
Short duration ~ 4 months
The Future of Martin’s
Healthy Ideas Checkout Lanes
• Martin’s would like to expand this project
to all 23 stores in the Richmond area
• Assess surveys, store management
feedback and sales figures
• Determine the most effective way to
market and engage customers at each
store
Questions?