Description of Differences in Price and Quality of Foods at Full Service Supermarkets and Convenience Stores in Cleveland, Ohio

Csumitta, Brian

Description of Differences in Price and Quality of Foods at Full Service Supermarkets and Convenience Stores in Cleveland, Ohio

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/37942

Author(s)

Csumitta, Brian

Date Issued

March 30, 2015

Abstract

In cities throughout the United States, there is limited access to healthy food options in inner-city neighborhoods. In these neighborhoods, there is a predominance of convenience stores that offer grocery items but limited healthy food choices. Supermarkets that offer healthy food choices are either non-existent in these communities, or there is not an easy way to get transportation to these stores. It is my goal through this study to determine if the type of store (full service supermarkets and convenience stores) influences the price and quality of typical groceries in the city of Cleveland. I visited 10 stores with a sample grocery list and recorded the price and various other measurements for 38 different grocery items. I also recorded various qualitative observations in each of these 10 stores. Grocery items tended to be more expensive in convenience stores than in full-service supermarkets. There was also a greater range in prices among items that were in full-service supermarkets than in convenience stores. Full-service supermarkets also seemed to have more organizational structure and offer a wider array of products to the consumer. My study illustrates the lack of affordable healthy food options for residents of inner city Cleveland. Word Count: 196 Words

Major

Environmental Science

First Reader(s)

Olson, Elizabeth