Designing online grocery stores to support healthy eating for weight loss

The current study aimed to identify features to include in online grocery stores to support healthful food purchasing by those striving to lose weight.

A Value Proposition Design approach was used to gain shopper insights, devise potential online grocery store features and obtain feedback on these features.

Telephone interviews were conducted to gain insight into shoppers' needs and perceptions. Results were used by the research team to identify potential online grocery shopping features that may support healthful purchase decisions, and interviews were conducted with a different sample of shoppers to gather feedback on features.

Insight (n 25) and feedback (n 25) interviews were conducted with convenience samples of adults trying to lose weight.

Participants were primarily female, white, college educated and with obesity or overweight. Online grocery features devised by the research team based on findings from the insight interviews included (1) shopping cart nutrition rating tool; (2) healthy meal planning tool; (3) interactive healthy eating inspiration aisle and (4) healthy shopping preference settings option. Findings from the feedback interviews indicated that the healthy meal planning tool, healthy shopping preference settings option and shopping cart nutrition rating tool features were positively rated by most participants.

There are multiple features grocers should consider including in their online stores to attract and support customers striving to eat healthy for weight loss.