Small Food Retail Program to Improve Healthy Food Access for Low-Income Tennesseans

Relevance

Low-income residents are more likely to face environmental barriers to healthy food access. Small food retail stores that accept SNAP/EBT are important food sources for low-income Americans, especially in areas where large grocery stores are difficult to access. USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Program-Education (SNAP-ED) recognizes healthy food retail interventions, such as Shop Smart Tennessee, as an approach to encourage healthy eating and support direct nutrition education. 

Response

Shop Smart Tennessee is an eight-week small food retail program that uses taste testing, educational handouts, and in-store marketing to encourage healthy customer selections. The program takes place in SNAP accepting small grocery stores and convenience stores in low income areas. In 2021 the program supported eight Family and Consumer Science agents in their partnerships with small food retail stores in their communities.

Results

In 2021 Shop Smart Tennessee in-store healthy promotions reached an estimated 13,500 store customers. In-store customer surveys showed that greater than half of the respondents (95 of 168) reported that the in-store displays influenced what they purchased at the store. Three of eight store managers who completed a final program questionnaire reported increasing their stock of the promoted healthy items and three of eight store owners reported an increase in sales for the healthy promoted items. 

Public Value Statement

Tennessee’s SNAP-Ed (TNCEP) food retail strategies, delivered through Shop Smart Tennessee, improve access to healthy food for low income Tennessee residents. This program is part of a long-term multi-level approach to encourage Tennesseans to make healthier choices, ultimately resulting in improvements to overall health and a decrease in healthcare costs in the state. In 2021 the TNCEP: SNAP-Ed program as a whole, reports over 39 million dollars in healthcare cost saved for the state.