Investigating business outcomes of healthy food retail strategies: A systematic scoping review

Abstract

Large changes to food retail settings are required to improve population diet.However, limited research has comprehensively considered the business implicationsof healthy food retail strategies for food retailers. We performed a systematic scopingreview to identify types of business outcomes that have been reported in healthyfood retail strategy evaluations. Peer‐reviewed and grey literature were searched.We identified qualitative or quantitative real‐world food or beverage retail strategiesdesigned to improve the healthiness of the consumer nutrition environment (eg,changes to the“marketing mix”of product, price, promotion, and/or placement).Eligible studies reported store‐or chain‐level outcomes for measures of commercialviability, retailer perspectives, customer perspectives, and/or community outcomes.11 682 titles and abstracts were screened with 107 studies included for review from15 countries. Overall item sales, revenue, store patronage, and customer level of sat-isfaction with strategy were the most frequently examined outcomes. There was alarge heterogeneity in outcome measures reported and in favourability for retailersof outcomes across studies. We recommend more consistent reporting of businessoutcomes and increased development and use of validated and reliable measurementtools. This may help generate more robust research evidence to aid retailers andpolicymakers to select feasible and sustainable healthy food retail strategies to bene-fit population health within and across countries.