Impact of Grocery Store Proximity on Store Preference Among Atlanta SNAP-Ed Participants.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between grocery store proximities and the individual's grocery store preferences among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education participants in Atlanta. METHODS: University of Georgia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education participants (n = 615, response rate is 36%) in 3 counties provided their preferred grocery store chains. The association between store proximity (both network distance and driving time) and store preference was measured through logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and race. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics showed participants had widely varying proximities to grocery stores. Model results were significant for all smaller chains (Aldi, Big Bear, Wayfield, Food Depot, and Save-A-Lot), Kroger (P < 0.01), as well as for Walmart (time only, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Future studies might identify whether local groceries are more willing to partner on interventions or are more effective at reaching local residents. Surveys or techniques such as sketch mapping could also show whether individuals shop in neighborhoods close to work or friends and family.

The mobility of food retailers: How proximity to SNAP authorized food retailers changed in Atlanta during the Great Recession.

Retailer mobility, defined as the shifting geographic patterns of retail locations over time, is a significant but understudied factor shaping neighborhood food environments. Our research addresses this gap by analyzing changes in proximity to SNAP authorized chain retailers in the Atlanta urban area using yearly data from 2008 to 2013. We identify six demographically similar geographic clusters of census tracts in our study area based on race and economic variables. We use these clusters in exploratory data analysis to identify how proximity to the twenty largest retail food chains changed during this period. We then use fixed effects models to assess how changing store proximity is associated with race, income, participation in SNAP, and population density. Our results show clear differences in geographic distribution between store categories, but also notable variation within each category. Increasing SNAP enrollment predicted decreased distances to almost all small retailers but increased distances to many large retailers. Our chain-focused analysis underscores the responsiveness of small retailers to changes in neighborhood SNAP participation and the value of tracking chain expansion and contraction in markets across time. Better understanding of retailer mobility and the forces that drive it can be a productive avenue for future research.