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Welcome Hub:
Reshaping the grocery shopping experience
How to promote a healthy diet and accessibility thourgh an improved grocery shopping experience?
By Natalie DeLiso︎, Jivitesh Chandnani ︎, Zhi Lin︎, Jagger Davis ︎
Hypothesis
By using a collection of small interventions in a market setting, we can create a shopping experience that is approachable, accessible, and more likely to yield healthy food choices for aging individuals.
By using a collection of small interventions in a market setting, we can create a shopping experience that is approachable, accessible, and more likely to yield healthy food choices for aging individuals.
Why
Due to a lack of readily available, accessible information within grocery stores regarding store layout, uses for products or produce, and an absence of person-to-person assistance can make shopping for daily needs an intimidating and unwelcoming experience for aging populations.
How
Through a series of small interventions in the market setting we can make this experience a more approachable setting. These interventions will be information based as well as increasing human interaction.
What
We propose the addition of a “welcome area” at the entrance of the store. Information on store organization and product location will be available, and a staff member will be present to answer any questions a guest may have. Recipe cards and other information related to fresh produce will be conveniently placed alongside products.
So What
Providing guests with insightful information on fresh produce and other healthy options will encourage shoppers to eat a diversified diet, while giving a sense of confidence and independence. Not relying on the guest to ask an employee or use a search engine, we can avoid the fear of any negative perceptions felt by shoppers who may simply be unfamiliar with certain ingredients.
Due to a lack of readily available, accessible information within grocery stores regarding store layout, uses for products or produce, and an absence of person-to-person assistance can make shopping for daily needs an intimidating and unwelcoming experience for aging populations.
How
Through a series of small interventions in the market setting we can make this experience a more approachable setting. These interventions will be information based as well as increasing human interaction.
What
We propose the addition of a “welcome area” at the entrance of the store. Information on store organization and product location will be available, and a staff member will be present to answer any questions a guest may have. Recipe cards and other information related to fresh produce will be conveniently placed alongside products.
So What
Providing guests with insightful information on fresh produce and other healthy options will encourage shoppers to eat a diversified diet, while giving a sense of confidence and independence. Not relying on the guest to ask an employee or use a search engine, we can avoid the fear of any negative perceptions felt by shoppers who may simply be unfamiliar with certain ingredients.
Visual of Welcome HubThe Link Between Design and Outcomes
A grocery store is far more than the place you get your daily needs, for many it’s a place of interaction, community and place. In particular, aging populations rely on food shopping as a key opportunity for socialization in times of increased loneliness; a finding of the Food and Public Health Research team at The University of Hertfordshire. Our small interventions collectively promote this crucial space as a more approachable, accessible, and equitable experience.
Our Welcome Area will greet guests with easily read information, including a map of the store’s layout, current sales, and product spotlights. A key feature throughout the project will be readily available information regarding fresh produce and other products, such as recipes and preservation guides; ensuring any shopper will have the confidence and agency to choose healthier options even if they were previously unfamiliar. While having such choices available is an important start, they must also be affordable for those with limited income.
In 2022 we saw a 10.4% increase in food costs caused by inflation alone. Due to rising grocery costs, the majority of people ages 50 to 80 in the U.S. are facing greater difficulty in finding affordable, regardless of health value, food choices in stores. To address this we will give the option to receive a recurring newsletter from the store with sale alerts and coupons, in addition to the information provided in-store, ensuring shoppers who may not be able to frequent the store are included in the community.
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Works Cited
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Nica. “The Future of Grocery Shopping for an Ageing Population: Our Partnership with Coop Italy (Scuola Coop) - National Innovation Centre Ageing %.” National Innovation Centre Ageing, May 23, 2023. https://uknica.co.uk/blog/2021/06/08/our-partnership-with-coop-italy-scuola-coop/.
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Sienra, Regina. “Dutch Supermarket Adds ‘Slow Checkout Lanes’ for Senior Citizens Who Could Use a Chat.” My Modern Met, December 9, 2022. https://mymodernmet.com/dutch-supermarket-slow-lanes-kletskassa/.
- Silverstein, Sam. “Grocery Inflation Is a Tougher Challenge for Vulnerable Older Adults, Survey Says.” Grocery Dive, September 30, 2022. https://www.grocerydive.com/news/grocery-inflation-harder-vulnerable-older-adults/633058/.