Honors Theses
Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Marketing
First Advisor
Melissa Cinelli
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Food deserts are areas that do not have full grocery options, resulting in a lack of healthy foods. These areas are generally low-income, with an abundance of unhealthy convenience stores and chain restaurants. A non-profit organization, The Nashville Mobile Market, was established to combat food deserts in Nashville, TN. This market conveniently provides healthy foods for consumers at low prices. However, The NMM was not utilizing marketing techniques, specifically relationship marketing techniques. A survey was administered to residents in the food desert areas. From this survey, data was collected pertaining to which factors most affected why these consumers do not buy healthy foods. The most noted factors were translated into different flyers that were later distributed in order to note which factor created the greatest sales response. Simultaneously, ethnography data was collected in order to grasp the effect of relationship marketing. The findings from this research revealed that the greatest factors affecting consumers' decisions to buy healthy foods include price, lack of knowledge when buying and cooking healthy foods and buying indifference. Thus, the identical flyers distributed to different food desert areas differed in one variable each. Sales data recorded after these flyers were distributed revealed that the one flyer caused the greatest increase in sales. Also, the ethnography research illustrated that consumers respond positively to continued and reliable relationships. Based on the results from this research, more research should be conducted pertaining to the most effective ways to teach consumers how to affordably and easily cook healthy foods. Also, further research pertaining to the effect of relationship marketing and sales is necessary.
Recommended Citation
Fenelon, Laura Walton, "Making Healthy Food Choices: Factors Affecting Healthy Eating in the Context of The Nashville Mobile Market." (2014). Honors Theses. 567.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/567
Accessibility Status
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