Balancing Mission and Margins: What Makes Healthy Community Food Stores Successful

Sara John, Megan R. Winkler, Ravneet Kaur, Julia DeAngelo, Alex B. Hill, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Uriyoan Colon-Ramos, Lucia A. Leone, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Emma C. Lewis and Joel Gittelsohn
Additional contact information
Sara John: Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Megan R. Winkler: Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Ravneet Kaur: Division of Health Research and Evaluation, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61107, USA
Julia DeAngelo: Departments of Health Policy Management & Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Alex B. Hill: Urban Studies and Planning and Detroit Food Map Initiative, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
Samantha M. Sundermeir: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Uriyoan Colon-Ramos: Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Lucia A. Leone: Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
Rachael D. Dombrowski: Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies, College of Education, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
Emma C. Lewis: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Joel Gittelsohn: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-20

Abstract: Mission-driven, independently-owned community food stores have been identified as a potential solution to improve access to healthy foods, yet to date there is limited information on what factors contribute to these stores’ success and failure. Using a multiple case study approach, this study examined what makes a healthy community food store successful and identified strategies for success in seven community stores in urban areas across the United States. We used Stake’s multiple case study analysis approach to identify the following key aims that contributed to community store success across all cases: (1) making healthy food available, (2) offering healthy foods at affordable prices, and (3) reaching community members with limited economic resources. However, stores differed in terms of their intention, action, and achievement of these aims. Key strategies identified that enabled success included: (1) having a store champion, (2) using nontraditional business strategies, (3) obtaining innovative external funding, (4) using a dynamic sourcing model, (5) implementing healthy food marketing, and (6) engaging the community. Stores did not need to implement all strategies to be successful, however certain strategies, such as having a store champion, emerged as critical for all stores. Retailers, researchers, philanthropy, and policymakers can utilize this definition of success and the identified strategies to improve healthy food access in their communities.

Keywords: food access; nutrition; healthy food retail; retail food environment; community store; store success; urban; case study approach; cross-case analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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