Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan 14;15(2):446.
doi: 10.3390/nu15020446.

A Systematic Review of Marketing Practices Used in Online Grocery Shopping: Implications for WIC Online Ordering

Leslie Hodges  1 , Caitlin M Lowery  2 , Priyanka Patel  3 , Joleen McInnis  4 , Qi Zhang  3
Affiliations

A Systematic Review of Marketing Practices Used in Online Grocery Shopping: Implications for WIC Online Ordering

Leslie Hodges et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) plans to allow participants to redeem their food package benefits online, i.e., online ordering. As grocery shopping online has become more common, companies have developed strategies to market food products to customers using online (or mobile) grocery shopping platforms. There is a significant knowledge gap in how these strategies may influence WIC participants who choose to shop for WIC foods online. This review examines the relevant literature to (1) identify food marketing strategies used in online grocery shopping platforms, (2) understand how these strategies influence consumer behavior and consumer diet, and (3) consider the implications for WIC participants. A total of 1862 references were identified from a systematic database search, of which 83 were included for full-text screening and 18 were included for data extraction and evidence synthesis. The included studies provide policymakers and other stakeholders involved in developing WIC online order processes with valuable information about the factors that shape healthy food choices in the online food retail environment. Findings indicate that some marketing interventions, such as nutrition labeling and food swaps, may encourage healthier food choices in the online environment and could potentially be tailored to reinforce WIC messaging about a healthy diet.

Keywords: WIC; food access; marketing; nutrition; online grocery shopping; retail food environment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Qi Zhang served as a consultant for JPMA, Inc., on a USDA-funded WIC project on WIC online ordering. The sponsors had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of studies included in the systematic review. Notes. Adapted from Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al., “PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews which included searches of databases, registers, and other sources”. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372. doi:10.1136/bmj.n71.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Carlson S., Neuberger Z. Wic Works: Addressing the Nutrition and Health Needs of Low-Income Families for More than Four Decades. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Washington, DC, USA: 2021.
    1. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): About WIC. [(accessed on 11 November 2022)]; Available online: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/about-wic.
    1. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service . Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Section 246.12, Food Delivery Methods. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service; Alexandria, VA, USA: 2006.
    1. Herring A. EO Guidance Document #FNS-GD-2021-0117. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service; Alexandria, VA, USA: 2021. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supports Online Ordering and Transactions in WIC.
    1. Ritchie L., Lee D., Sallack L., Chauvenet C., Machell G., Kim L., Song L., Whaley S.E. Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey: Learning from Program Adaptations during COVID. National WIC Association; Washington, DC, USA: 2021.

Publication types