Public- Private Partnerships: Working with Corner Stores and Grocery Stores to Increase Access to Healthy Foods

Improving the healthy food supply chain by partnering with local distributors, farmers, and other fresh food providers to develop systems that will enable smaller retailers to procure and offer healthier foods at a reasonable price.

Corner stores outnumber traditional groceries two to one across our project region and can play a critical role increasing access to healthy foods for residents. Our project will focus on engaging local distributors and corner stores owners to understand the barriers to serving small retailers, assessing the different models used to improve distribution, and tailoring models to fit the needs of corner stores within our project area. These stores will be able to provide healthy food items such as fruits and veggies to residents in their local communities.

Partnering with supermarkets and grocery stores to promote healthier options.

Grocery stores tend to offer a larger variety of healthier options and can be a critical partner in increasing healthy food access for residents. Though much of the emphasis has been on attracting and opening grocery stores in food deserts and other food scarce areas, there have been very few public health interventions focused on working with established stores to support environmental changes that promote and feature healthier options. Through this initiative, we will collaborate with these larger to establish changes within the store environment that encourages the purchasing and consumption of healthier items. We will support these stores to institutionalize these changes through policy changes.