A University of Adelaide study, conducted in collaboration with Foodbank SA & NT, has demonstrated that strategies supermarkets commonly use to influence shopper behaviour can be successfully adapted for food relief pantries.
A volunteer at a Foodbank SA & NT Food Hub. Credit: Foodbank SA & NT.
The eight-month study found promotional cues and strategic product placement of fresh and nutritious food options, as well as a pricing intervention applied to certain foods, empowered people experiencing food insecurity to select more nutritious foods.
While the pricing intervention amplified the effects of the other two strategies, promotional cues and product placement alone led to meaningful shifts in food choices among clients in South Australian Foodbanks.
"All edible items were categorised as either 'red', 'amber', 'green' and 'greener green' based on nutritional value. This informed a shelf-stacking system that prioritised healthier options by placing them in more prominent and accessible shelves," says study author Shaeny Chandra, a PhD candidate from the University of Adelaide's School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.
"This led to an increase in turnover of 'greener green' category foods - primarily fresh fruit and vegetables - while turnover of red category discretionary snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages declined."
Maintaining a nutritious diet is a significant challenge for those accessing food relief, often compounding other health concerns.
"One in three households in Australia experiences some level of food insecurity, and of those 33 per cent report a moderate to severe level of food insecurity," says Shaeny Chandra, whose study is published in the journal Appetite.
"The 2025 Foodbank Hunger Report suggests that up to 25 per cent of food-insecure households are accessing food relief.
"Poor diet is a leading contributor to the Australian burden of obesity, and other non-communicable diseases. Improving nutritional outcomes in food relief settings, therefore, could have far-reaching health benefits."
Foodbank CEO, Greg Pattinson says the intervention is notable for preserving dignity for Foodbank's clients.
"What's really important about the promotion, placement and pricing strategy is that it does not remove agency from people - they are still able to make food choices based on what is best for them or their families," he says.
Results from the study showed that when presented with healthy, nutritious options and supported by clear promotional messaging, people are more likely to make healthier choices. The new categorised shelving system also improved stock presentation and inventory management.
"We identified that, prior to our intervention, whenever a space opened up on a shelf, it would be filled with any available stock, rather than mirroring the retail practice of restocking based on turnover," Shaeny says.
"With the new product placement strategy in place, Food Hubs now give their clients more consistency by maintaining a product layout and ordering replacement stock according to what has moved from the shelf - with healthier options given priority placement."
The University has collaborated with Foodbank SA & NT for almost a decade, creating practical resources designed by researchers and students from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine - many of which continue to help families today.
Similarly, following the completion of Shaeny Chandra's study, the intervention was implemented in four Foodbank locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
