How do people shop for food online?
Dr Sally Moore and Dr Yael Benn shared their research with the public at interactive sessions at the Festival of Social Science.
Dr Moore (School of Food Science and Nutrition), Dr Yael Benn (Manchester Metropolitan University) and a group of student volunteers presented the Finding Healthy Online project, which explores online food choices.
It was part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s 2024 Festival of Social Science.
The sessions were structured as “snacks” that engaged people with different parts of the research and the thinking behind it.
People who dropped in were encouraged to think about their food choices in person and online by choosing different products, thinking about what influences them and trying eye-tracking equipment, which revealed the unconscious glances they make towards things they might care about.
The researchers then explained the research behind online shopping choices and what eye-tracking can reveal, while visitors gave their views on the technology.
People gave their opinions about online food shopping
Inspiring and thought-provoking
Zoe Webster-Morris, a student volunteer said: "Seeing how people shop and make their choices was fascinating. I loved seeing people using eye-tracking technology to get real insights into food choices. So grateful for the experience!"
Sally Moore and Yael Benn commented: “We really enjoyed hearing people’s views and got amazing feedback from guests about our research and event.
“One person commented on how well the event was run and thought our volunteers were the "best students I've ever met".
“This means so much, and that people thought our project was super interesting and cool.”
Harriet Lloyd-Smith, an MSci student, said: "This event was such a great opportunity to chat with the public about their behaviours and opinions about online food shopping, particularly the differences before, during, and after COVID.
“Some common themes were discussed: the convenience of online food shopping, being given bad substitutes, the presence of traffic light labelling and how it can make budgeting easier.
“It was great to take a break from lectures and essay writing, and to immerse myself in how nutrition is perceived in the real world."
Afreen Rahman, Industrial Engagement Teaching Fellow, said: “It was incredible to learn about aspects of online food shopping that often go unnoticed, even by frequent users of shopping apps.
“The eye-tracking demonstration brilliantly highlighted how different demographics make food choices online.
“Speaking with visitors and participants to understand their perspectives was enlightening, showcasing how differently people focus on various aspects of the same product.
“I found it fascinating that I overlooked all the promotional content on food packaging and focused directly on the ingredients.
“Thanks to Dr Sally Moore and Dr Yael Benn for organizing this successful event! I would love to be a part of more events in the future.”
Dr Yael Benn and Dr Sally Moore
About Finding Healthy Online
Finding Healthy Online is a project to create research-industrial insight into how online supermarket food environments can support healthier, more sustainable diets for consumers.
The research project was supported by funding from the Consumer Lab, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with support from the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Innovate UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC) and conducted in partnership with Ocado Retail, UK.
