The impact of taxation and signposting on diet: an online field study with breakfast cereals and soft drinks

Daniel Zizzo, Melanie Parravano, Ryota Nakamura, Suzanna Forwood and Marc Suhrcke
Additional contact information
Melanie Parravano: BHRU and Newcastle University
Ryota Nakamura: Hitotsubashi University
Suzanna Forwood: Anglia Ruskin University

Experimental Economics, 2021, vol. 24, issue 4, No 9, 1294-1324

Abstract: Abstract We present a large scale study where a nationally representative sample of 1000 participants were asked to make real purchases within an online supermarket platform. The study captured the effect of price changes, and of the signposting of such changes, for breakfast cereals and soft drinks. We find that such taxes are an effective means of altering food purchasing, with a 20% rate being sufficient to make a significant impact if (and only if) the tax is signposted. Signposting represents a complementary “nudge” policy that could enhance the impact of the tax, though its effectiveness depends on the product category.

Keywords: Taxes; Signposting; Healthy diet; Nudges; Public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D12 H31 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Working Paper: The impact of taxation and signposting on diet: an online field study with breakfast cereals and soft drinks (2016)
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DOI: 10.1007/s10683-020-09698-0

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