When Labels Matter: How Digital Design Nudges Online Food Choice. Data collection stage

with Emma Frew and Johannes Lohse

Funded by the NIHR 

Abstract:

Food labelling policies such as front-of-pack labelling provide nutritional information and encourage healthier purchasing behaviours. Given the increased use of online food shopping, it is important to investigate the impact of enabling improved access to nutritional labels on an online platform. In this study, we explore the impact of varying access to nutritional labels on online purchasing behaviour. Using laboratory experiments we investigate the effect of offering mandatory access versus optional access to nutritional labels, both before and after the selection decision (i.e. deciding what items to add to the basket). An online store platform was designed to display a selection of food products. University students were invited to participate in the laboratory experiment and were told they had a fixed endowment that they could use to select and purchase products. At the end of the experiment, the participants were able to take the selected items home.  The students were randomly assigned to two scenarios. In the first scenario, they were given the choice to view the nutritional labels for any item displayed. In the second scenario, the nutritional labels were displayed for all items (unable to select which items). For both these scenarios, the students were offered the nutritional information either before they selected items for their basket, or after they had selected items.  All four conditions were compared to a baseline condition replicating the status quo in online shopping platforms, requiring participants to actively select an item and scroll to access its nutritional label.

Participants were also offered the opportunity to substitute chosen items with healthier alternatives before finalising their purchasing decisions. This treatment was referred to as the ‘swap treatment’. We also collected data on participants' satisfaction and emotional responses to their choices.

We anticipate that, in comparison to the baseline, participants will have an increased tendency to purchase healthier items in all treatment conditions. We will explore the impact of having the nutritional information made available for only some items versus all items and the impact of offering this information before or after product selection.  We hypothesize observing a greater proportion of participants substituting unhealthy items with healthier alternatives as the exposure to nutritional information increases. We will also explore the impact of having autonomy over how to receive nutritional information.  The results will help inform nutrition policy within an online food shopping environment.