Fast Food Online Delivery Purchase Behaviour in the Presence and Absence of Price-based Incentives
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- University of Liverpool
- Enrollment
- 548
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Energy consumed per household member
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Consumption of out-of-home (OOH) food is associated with significantly greater energy and less-healthy nutrient (i.e. fats, salt and sugar) intake. The price of food is a key consideration of food choice, particularly for individuals of lower socioeconomic position (SEP). Little research to date has examined the causal effect of removing price-based incentives on purchasing behaviour in OOH food settings. One online randomised controlled trial explored the effect of removing three types of price-based incentives individually and in combination, on food choice through a virtual food delivery platform. This study found that energy selection was 7-8% lower when price incentives were removed. While not statistically significant, Bayes factors indicted that data comparing control vs "all promotions removed" conditions were inconclusive (BF10 = 0.55) and therefore could not provide support for the alternative or null hypotheses. A limitation of this study is that the outcome was hypothetical food choice. As participants would not pay for or receive their selected meals, the prices of foods may have been less salient, thus reducing the potential for impact. In the present study, exploring real-world consumer behaviour (as opposed to hypothetical choice) will better determine the potential impact of removing price-based incentives in the OOH food sector.
Detailed Description
See attached study protocol for detailed information
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- Double (Participant, Investigator)
Masking Description
Participants and researchers will not know the group to which individuals have been assigned.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Able to order and pay for a takeaway pizza for delivery today or tomorrow
- •Currently reside in select postcode areas
- •Manchester (M13 store): M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M18, M19
- •Liverpool (L3 store): L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L8, L13, L15
- •Birmingham (B27 store): B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B25, B26, B27, B28, B33, B90, B91, B92
- •Over the age of 18 years
- •Report having used food delivery services in the last year
Exclusion Criteria
- •Partaking in a fast or other restrictive eating (e.g. for religious or health reasons) at time of participation
- •A previous eating disorder diagnosis
- •Currently on appetite-suppressing medication
- •Dietary restrictions/intolerances including:
- •Gluten-free
- •Dairy-free
- •Sugar-free
Arms & Interventions
Control condition
Participants will choose from a food menu with regular pricing, and three price-based incentives present (value pricing, bulk-buy incentives, and price reductions).
Intervention: Control (Behavioral)
Experimental condition
Participants will choose from a menu with no price-based incentives present.
Intervention: Experimental (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Energy consumed per household member
Time Frame: The morning after food orders are placed.
Main participants will select a food order on behalf of their household. The day after receiving their food order, all participants will be asked to estimate the amount of each ordered item that they ate. This information will be used to estimate energy consumed by each household member.
Secondary Outcomes
- Total monetary spend per household member(Immediately after food choice)
- Energy content per household member(Immediately after food choice)