Nudging people in supermarkt application leads to healthier food purchases

Science Works 2 min. Tineke Bennema

People who received timely nudges with healthier products, while shopping with a smartphone supermarket application, bought a higher percentage of healthier food purchases (65-69%) compared to people (28%), who did not receive any nudges. This is the result of an experiment and ongoing research project ‘Nudge Me’ by Nynke van der Laan, Rachelle de Vries en Bart Engelen.

In the first lab experiment, participants had to complete an online grocery shopping task using a mock supermarket app (developed by Nakko BV). A total of 200 Tilburg University students were randomly assigned to five conditions – 4 digital (JIT) nudging conditions, and one control condition without any nudges. In nudging conditions, JIT nudges were given to a participant when they added an unhealthy product (for instance Coca-Cola Regular) to their virtual shopping basket. JIT nudges consisted of a (personalized or non-personalized) pop-up with a suggestion for an alternative (healthier) product to choose.

Promising results

Consistent with what was found in the previous field experiment results of the lab study show that digital (JIT) nudges were generally successful at promoting healthier online food choices. Furthermore, the improvements in food purchases did not negatively influence users’ perception of the app itself. In fact, the additional presence of (JIT) nudges did not lower users’ sense of freedom in making food choices, and even resulted in higher ratings of satisfaction in nudging groups (78-80 out of 100) compared to the control (no-nudge) group (71).

Rachelle de Vries
Postdoctoral researcher

"Personalizing digital (JIT) nudges – on characteristics such as a user’s preferences for visual versus verbal product information – help to stimulate healthier food choices further, such as by increasing the proportion of healthier suggestions accepted by a user."
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Bart Engelen
Associate Professor

"The fact that these nudges are effective in encouraging healthy food purchases without being perceived as frustrating or controlling, suggests that they do not threaten people’s perceived autonomy."
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Nynke van der Laan
Associate Professor

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Personalized nudges

Rachelle de Vries, postdoctoral researcher on the project, also saw some evidence for the added value of nudge personalization: "Our data show that personalizing digital (JIT) nudges – on characteristics such as a user’s preferences for visual versus verbal product information – help to stimulate healthier food choices further, such as by increasing the proportion of healthier suggestions accepted by a user."

Ethical effect

This is also good news from an ethical perspective, Bart Engelen, also involved in the project, adds: "The fact that these nudges are effective in encouraging healthy food purchases without being perceived as frustrating or controlling, suggests that they do not threaten people’s perceived autonomy. Instead of having to trade off values like health and autonomy, smartly designed and personalized nudges can actually promote both, at the same time."

More information

The collaboration project is co-funded the PPP Allowance made available by Health~Holland, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, to stimulate public-private partnerships.