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As a motivational factor, uniqueness drives individuals to seek and choose unique goods or experiences. The act of wearing masks obscures individuals' facial features and influences their desire for uniqueness. This study aims to explore how wearing masks promotes individual uniqueness- seeking behavior. Three experiments were performed using various product categories (Starbucks coffee cups, sweatshirts, suitcases, and baseball caps) and sample types (college student and adult samples). Experiment results show that wearing masks obscures individuals' facial features and weakens their self- perceived uniqueness, thereby increasing their willingness to actively purchase unique products. This study is the first to examine the effect of wearing masks on individuals' choice of unique products. Practically, the results suggest that customized products can compensate for the lack of self-perceived uniqueness brought about by facial occlusion, thus providing valuable guidance for companies and retailers that offer customized services in formulating and designing marketing strategies.

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In the contemporary digital marketing context, this study aimed to investigate the influence of firm-generated content and social media advertising on fast-food consumption patterns among the adult population. Utilizing a questionnaire distributed to customers of a restaurant in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, convenience sampling was employed. The findings underscored a significant positive relationship between firm-generated content and social media engagement, as well as between the latter and online shopping behavior. However, it was determined that word of mouth did not significantly moderate the relationship between attitudes towards social media advertisements and fast-food consumption patterns. From a theoretical perspective, these results enrich the understanding of how digital dynamics shape consumer behavior in specific contexts. Practically speaking, they prompt a critical reflection on the ethics of marketing in promoting products potentially detrimental to health, urging both companies and policymakers to reconsider their strategies and regulations, respectively.

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OBJECTIVE: To examine the moderation effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation on the baseline fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of Hispanic/Latino and African American children and parents participating in the Brighter Bites program. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Houston, Austin, and Dallas, TX; Washington, DC; and Southwest Florida. PARTICIPANTS: Self-reported surveys (n = 6,037) of Hispanic/Latino and African American adult-child dyads enrolled in Brighter Bites in Fall 2018. VARIABLES MEASURED: Dependent variable, child FV intake; Independent variable, parent FV intake, and FV shopping behavior; Effect Measure Modifier, SNAP participation. ANALYSIS: Quantitatively used mixed effects linear regression models to test if the effect of parental baseline FV intake and shopping behavior on a child's baseline FV intake differed by SNAP participation. Analyses were performed using STATA with significance set at P < 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: For parents that consumed FV ≥ 2 times/d at baseline, there was a 0.1 times increase in child FV intake at baseline among those who participated in SNAP as compared with those who did not participate in SNAP (ß = 0.1; 95% CI, 0.1-0.2; P = 0.001), and for parents who shopped at convenience stores ≥ 2 times/wk for FV, there was 0.6 times increase in child FV intake at baseline for those who participated in SNAP as compared with those that did not participate in SNAP (ß = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation moderated the associations between FV intake among African American and Hispanic/Latino parents and children and FV shopping at convenience stores and child FV intake. Findings indicate a need for future interventions to promote SNAP participation among those eligible and improve access to FV.

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The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of depression in the relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and compulsive shopping behavior (CSB) and whether self-compassion (SC) played a moderating role in this model. The study was designed based on the cross-sectional method. The final sample includes 664 Vietnamese adults (Mage = 21.95, SD = 5.681 years). Participants completed an online survey, including questionnaires about SSS, CSB, depression, SC, and basic demographic information. First, the study results showed that SSS did not directly affect CSB (p > .05, 95% CI includes zero). Second, a mediating role of depression and a moderating role of SC in the research model was discovered (p < .001, 95% CI does not contain zero). Results indicated that individuals with a higher SSS experienced lower depression. Moreover, during a depressive episode, having a higher level of SC increases CSB. The study highlighted meaningful recommendations to promote consumers' mental health and healthy shopping behaviors.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce's market share has increased dramatically, a phenomenon attributable to not only lockdowns but to voluntary changes in shopping behavior as well. The current study examines the main determinants driving shopping behavior in the context of both physical and online store availability, and investigates whether specific drivers have changed during the pandemic. The study aims to test whether fear of infection and mandatory wearing of face masks in shops have influenced consumer channel choice. The empirical analysis focuses on two product types (consumer electronics, furniture), with empirical data collected via a representative consumer survey in three German regions. The statistical analysis was performed using a hurdle model approach and the findings are compared to those of a study related to pre-pandemic shopping. The results show that the determinants of shopping behavior have largely not changed. Channel choice can be explained by shopping attitudes, age, and partially, by place of residence of consumers. Store choice is determined primarily by shopping transaction costs and store features. Fear of infection and the mandatory wearing of face masks exhibit minimal influence on channel choice, if any. The importance of cross-channel integration of stores/chains has decreased significantly, while average travel times for in-store purchases have declined. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10109-023-00408-x.

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The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented economic shock in current times. Previous literature on consumer shopping behaviors during economic downturns is limited, and studies specific to seafood focused primarily on supply-side shocks. A national survey was conducted using an online platform from February 22 to April 6, 2021 that targeted 100 seafood consumers in each of 20 market areas across the U.S. Following data cleaning, 1908 usable responses were obtained. Results documented significant changes in consumer shopping behaviors. Significantly greater percentages of meals (generally and of seafood) were consumed at home and fewer away from home, as expected. Demographic differences were found in shopping behaviors by age, education, income, and gender, but not by ethnic group. Frequency of shopping decreased in 2020, but the expenditure per shopping trip did not, resulting in less overall spending for groceries as compared to 2019. Respondents were less likely to purchase seafood for takeout or for home delivery of prepared meals as compared to general meals because of concerns over quality, freshness, and safety of seafood. Half of respondents consumed approximately the same amount of seafood as before the pandemic; with 31% reporting decreased seafood consumption, and only 19% increased seafood consumption. Thus, study results provide evidence of a pandemic-imposed shift to consuming greater proportions of seafood meals at-home than away-from-home, and not an overall increase in seafood consumption. The choice of species eaten most often did not differ pre- and post-pandemic. Those respondents who reported decreased seafood consumption in 2020 did so primarily because of: 1) its expense, given reduced incomes from working fewer hours or being laid off; 2) unwillingness to prepare fish at home for the smell and "mess", or being uncomfortable preparing it; or 3) simply not preferring or liking seafood well enough to eat it more frequently. Those who reported increasing seafood consumption did so primarily because it was considered to be a healthy food choice. Additional work is needed to further examine consumption and shopping behaviors throughout the recovery in 2021 and 2022.

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The purpose of this research is to analyze the shopping behavior of international students (Asian vs. European) studying in Poland. Participants were recruited from universities located in Warsaw between June and September 2020. A total of 806 questionnaires were collected, 87 of which were eliminated due to non-response. The research sample consisted of 719 people. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis for the entire study population and separately for European and Asian students. In exploratory factor analysis, two factors were extracted for the entire population, while three factors each were extracted for the European and Asian student groups. In cluster analysis, we obtained four clusters each for the entire study population and the group of European and Asian students. Our study found that among Asian students, compared to European students, there was a greater change in shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed by a greater preference for online shopping, greater purchases of fruits and vegetables, purchases of local products, and shorter shopping time.

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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Modern methods of communication and engagement, such as social media, video games, and online shopping, use a variety of behavioral techniques to encourage and reward frequent use, opening the door to addiction. The technological addictions (TAs) are a set of disorders that accompany the technological advances that define the digital age. The TAs are an active source of research in the literature, with promising treatment options already available. RECENT FINDINGS: There are promising therapeutic and psychopharmacologic treatments for a broad range of TAs. Stimulants, antidepressants, and cognitive therapies may all be effective for internet gaming disorder (IGD). Cognitive therapies may be effective for other TAs, such as social media addiction (SMA), online shopping addiction (OSA), and online porn addiction. Society's dependence on addictive technologies will only increase. Many of the TAs can be addressed with medication and therapy, with more research and literature developing at a rapid pace.

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There has been an increasing amount of research examining problematic shopping behavior (PSB), often referred to in the psychological literature as "compulsive buying" or "shopping addiction." A popular scale for assessing the risk of PSB is the seven-item Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS). To expand our knowledge of the psychometric properties of this instrument, the present study employed Item Response Theory (IRT) and differential item functioning analyses (DIF) while concurrently attempting to determine a preliminary cut-off point. A relatively large community sample completed the BSAS online (N = 968, M age = 29.5 years, SD age = 9.36, 32.5% women). IRT analyses showed differences regarding the BSAS items' discrimination, difficulty, and precision, with a raw score exceeding 23 (out of 28) indicating a higher risk of shopping addiction. Finally, while most BSAS items operated equally among males and females, Item 2 (mood modification) required a higher level of shopping addiction behaviors to be endorsed by males. The BSAS functions as a reliable assessment of the risk of shopping addiction, particularly between average and high levels of the trait. Clinical implications are discussed in light of these findings.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on grocery retailers, forcing them to make many operational changes in response to public health concerns and the shift in customers' shopping behavior. Grocery retailers need to understand the impact of pandemic conditions on their operations, but the literature has not modeled and analyzed this issue. We bridge this gap through economic models that consider the documented changes in the customers' shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, including less frequent in-store shopping and bulk-shopping tendency. We capture the impact of occupancy limitation guidelines on grocery retailers' service capacity, customers' shopping behavior, and, consequently, on the retailers' store traffic and profit. We find that though store occupancy limitations reduce the in-store foot traffic (which helps with curbing the disease spread), interestingly, they do not necessarily result in a profit decline. Under occupancy limitations and when the retailer offers the delivery or curbside pickup service, our analyses highlight the externality impact of online customers on the shopping behavior of in-store customers. When the retailer adds the delivery service, such externalities may increase the store traffic (higher infection risk inside the grocery store) and reduce the retailer's profit. When the retailer adds the curbside pickup instead, it has more control over the impact of externalities, which helps in lowering the store traffic and increasing the profit. Our results offer valuable insights into how retailers should regard occupancy limitations and health safety measures. Our results also highlight conditions under which various operating modes may help retailers reduce infection risk and achieve higher profit.

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Objective: Ubiquitous internet access is reshaping the way we live, but it is accompanied by unprecedented challenges in preventing chronic diseases that are usually planted by long exposure to unhealthy lifestyles. This paper proposes leveraging online shopping behaviors as a proxy for personal lifestyle choices to improve chronic disease prevention literacy, targeted for times when e-commerce user experience has been assimilated into most people's everyday lives. Methods: Longitudinal query logs and purchase records from 15 million online shoppers were accessed, constructing a broad spectrum of lifestyle features covering various product categories and buyer personas. Using the lifestyle-related information preceding online shoppers' first purchases of specific prescription drugs, we could determine associations between their past lifestyle choices and whether they suffered from a particular chronic disease. Results: Novel lifestyle risk factors were discovered in two exemplars-depression and type 2 diabetes, most of which showed reasonable consistency with existing healthcare knowledge. Further, such empirical findings could be adopted to locate online shoppers at higher risk of these chronic diseases with decent accuracy [i.e. (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) AUC=0.68 for depression and AUC=0.70 for type 2 diabetes], closely matching the performance of screening surveys benchmarked against medical diagnosis. Conclusions: Mining online shopping behaviors can point medical experts to a series of lifestyle issues associated with chronic diseases that are less explored to date. Hopefully, unobtrusive chronic disease surveillance via e-commerce sites can grant consenting individuals a privilege to be connected more readily with the medical profession and sophistication.

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Low-income children and families do not meet the recommendations for fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. This study aimed to assess the association between FV shopping behavior and child FV intake through a cross-sectional study design analyzing self-reported surveys (n = 6074) from adult-child dyads of Hispanic/Latino and African American participants enrolled in the Brighter Bites co-op program. Through quantitative mixed effects linear regression models, accounting for school-level clustering and adjusting for covariates, child FV intake was positively associated with shopping for FV at large chain grocery stores (p < 0.001), natural/organic supermarkets (p < 0.001), warehouse club stores (p = 0.002), discount superstores (p < 0.001), small local stores/corner stores (p = 0.038), convenience stores (p = 0.022), ethnic markets (p = 0.002), farmers' markets/co-op/school farm stands (p < 0.001), and gardens (p = 0.009) among Hispanic/Latinos participants. Among African American participants, there was significant positive association between child FV intake and shopping for FV at natural/organic supermarkets (p < 0.001), discount superstores (p = 0.005), and convenience stores (p = 0.031). The relationship between location and frequency of shopping for FV and child FV intake varied between races. Further research is needed to better understand the influence of cultural and physical environmental factors. Nutrition education programs are vital to encouraging families to make healthier food choices and purchases to improve child FV consumption.

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Food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed worldwide as a consequence of the restrictions imposed by law and/or due to the fear of contamination. Although some similarities are found among countries, there are still many particularities for each nation. The present study focused on Romanian consumers and their consumption behavior related to four main food categories: fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products, bread and bakery products, and milk and milk products. Frequency of buying, shopping habits, place of purchase, and concerns related to the place of purchasing food products during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed in comparison with the pre-COVID-19 period using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics regarding an online survey. Three types of behavior were identified as being related to the frequency of buying and to organizing a shopping list (less often, no change, more often). Two groups of consumers were identified as being related to the place of purchasing food: people with the same habits and people with new habits. Concerns related to the location of the stores and to the choice of buying directly from producers were also investigated using the ordered logistic regression. The empirical study revealed the new consumption patterns with a reflection on future trends.

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INTRODUCTION: There has been a significant increase in online purchasing and product safety problems have been identified in e-commerce. This study examines consumer behavior and safety perceptions among parents purchasing child products online. METHOD: A mixed methods approach, including focus groups and a survey with parents, identified key characteristics and behaviors. Cluster analysis was used to determine different population segments (including "Informed," "Uninformed," and "Infrequent" consumer groups) based on their frequency of online shopping and search for product information. "Safe" and "Unsafe" behavior groups were identified related to their search for safety information on child products. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the effects of consumer type groups and demographic variables on the chances of being a safer consumer. RESULTS: Findings indicate that child product safety considerations are not a priority for parents when shopping online. Only 62% of the survey respondents indicated that they search for information prior to buying a child product online, of which only 13% of the respondents noted that they search for information on product safety. Risky consumer behaviors were identified including the purchase of imitation products (counterfeit or knockoff products) and autonomous checks for product safety in lieu of safety standards. The logistic regression analysis found that being an "Uninformed Consumer" increases the odds of an individual being an "Unsafe Consumer" by 8.4 times (χ2(11) = 97.33, p < .001). Practical Applications: Design of a social marketing campaign that targets these different population segments to change perceptions and promote safe online purchasing is recommended.

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BACKGROUND: Food shopping frequency may be an important modifiable factor related to increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Because of mixed findings of individual studies of shopping frequency, a systematic review is needed to examine findings across studies and store types. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of articles examining the relationship between frequency of food shopping and FV intake including examination of participation in federal nutrition assistance programs on FV intake, if reported. METHODS: A search, guided by the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Metanalyses, using terms related to FV consumption and food shopping across 4 online databases, was conducted. Studies conducted in the US and published through October, 2020, included adults, and had a cross-sectional, longitudinal, cohort, or randomized study design were eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: Twenty-four articles were included. The majority of studies found at least 1 positive finding between the frequency of food shopping and FV intake, indicating that as the frequency of food shopping increased, FV intake increased. In studies with 100% participation in government/federal nutrition assistance programs, participation was associated with FV intake. Studies that included participation as a subset found participation not associated with FV intake. IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: The frequency of shopping may be modifiable to increase FV intake. Experimental research is needed to test the directionality and causality of the relationship. Federal nutrition assistance programs may be a logical place to test the relationship through the adjustment of fund disbursements.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe food shopping frequency across 7 store types in a rural context and compare food shopping frequency between federal nutrition assistance recipients and nonrecipients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at county fairs in rural Tennessee. RESULTS: Reported overall mean food shopping frequency was 18.4 (SD, 13.9) times in the past 30 days. A mean of 3.1 (SD, 1.2) store types were visited, with supermarkets, convenience stores, and dollar stores the most frequented stores. Federal nutrition assistance program recipients shopped significantly less frequently than nonrecipients for overall shopping frequency (P = 0.02), supermarkets (P = 0.02), and farmers' markets (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Educating and counseling individuals on how food shopping frequency may promote nutrition and health may be important. Federal nutrition assistance programs that distribute benefits monthly may impact food shopping frequency.

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COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan city of Hubei Province in China in December 2019. It has a substantial impact on human life all around the world, especially for citizens. The threat of COVID-19 has resulted in people shopping online to get fresh food and reduce outdoor trips. Collecting data from adult internet users in Wuhan, China in 2020, this study aims to explore the influence of COVID-19 on fresh food shopping behavior. In addition, a comparison and ordered logit model are constructed to demonstrate the changes and effects of COVID-19. The results suggest that more citizens in Wuhan city will buy fresh food online and the cost and frequency are also increased. The experience of online shopping for fresh food during the lock-down days has promoted more online shopping. The factors, such as frequency of online shopping before the COVID-19 outbreak, frequency of online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and age, have a negative effect on the proportion of online shopping after the lock-down days, while the proportion of online shopping before the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and travel time of in-store shopping before the COVID-19 outbreak have a positive effect. The results provide insights for managers, city planners, and policymakers.

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BACKGROUND: Modifying a household's food environment by targeting a single retailer type, like supermarkets, has a limited impact on dietary outcomes. This may be because the food environment has a limited impact on shopping behaviors, or because households are not as reliant on supermarkets as we assume. However, our understanding of how households shop for food, especially when considering the use of both food at home (FAH) retailers, such as supermarkets, and away from home retailers (FAFH), such as restaurants, is limited. Thus, understanding how households shop for food is a necessary first step when developing programs to modify food purchasing behavior. METHODS: K-means cluster analysis was used to identify weekly food shopping trip patterns based on the percentage of trips to FAH and FAFH retailers in the 2013 Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) dataset (n = 4665 households). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between shopping trip patterns, household and food environment characteristics. RESULTS: Three patterns emerged: primarily supermarket, primarily supercenter, or mix (i.e. no dominant retailer type, but high FAFH use). Households with incomes below 185% of the federal poverty line were evenly divided between patterns that rely primarily on FAH retailers, and the mix pattern. While nearly 70% of households with incomes above 185% of the federal poverty line are in the mix cluster. Supermarket and superstore availability significantly influenced the likelihood of belonging to those clusters respectively, while having a child, higher income, and attitudes towards healthy meal preparation time or taste significantly influenced the likelihood of belonging to the mix cluster. CONCLUSION: Although lower-income households are more likely to rely primarily on FAH retailers, household's, regardless of income, that primarily utilize FAH retailers show a strong preference for either superstores or supermarkets suggesting a need for interventions to reach both retailer types. However, altering the food environment alone may not be sufficient to discourage use of FAFH retailers as households relying on FAFH retailers are significantly influenced by meal preparation time and healthy food taste.

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BACKGROUND: Eating habits are established during childhood and track into adolescence and later in life. Given that these habits have a large public health impact and influence the increasing rates of childhood obesity worldwide, there is a need for effective, evidence-based prevention trials promoting healthy eating habits in the first 2 years of life. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the effect of an eHealth intervention called Food4toddlers, aiming to promote healthy dietary habits in toddlers by targeting parents' awareness of their child's food environment (i.e., how food is provided or presented) and eating environment (e.g., feeding practices and social interaction). This paper describes the rationale, development, and evaluation design of this project. METHODS/DESIGN: We developed a 6-month eHealth intervention, with the extensive user involvement of health care nurses and parents of toddlers. This intervention is in line with the social cognitive theory, targeting the interwoven relationship between the person, behavior, and environment, with an emphasis on environmental factors. The intervention website includes recipes, information, activities, and collaboration opportunities. The Food4toddlers website can be used as a mobile application. To evaluate the intervention, a two-armed pre-post-follow-up randomized controlled trial is presently being conducted in Norway. Parents of toddlers (n = 404) were recruited via social media (Facebook) and 298 provided baseline data of their toddlers at age 12 months. After baseline measurements, participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group or control group. Primary outcomes are the child's diet quality and food variety. All participants will be followed up at age 18 months, 2 years, and 4 years. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will provide evidence to increase knowledge about the effectiveness of an eHealth intervention targeting parents and their toddler's dietary habits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN92980420 . Registered 13 September 2017. Retrospectively registered.

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BACKGROUND: Household food insecurity is associated with health and behavior risk. Much less is known about how food insecurity is related to strategies that adults use in accessing food: how and where they shop, use of alternative food sources, and their ability to manage resources. OBJECTIVE: To examine how maternal behaviors, including shopping, accessing alternative sources of food, and managing resources, are related to household food security status (HHFSS). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study collecting survey data on HHFSS, shopping behaviors, use of alternative food sources, and managing resources obtained from low-income mothers of preschool-aged children. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-four low-income mothers of young children (55% Hispanic) from two communities in Rhode Island. MEASURES: HHFSS was measured using 10 items from the 18-item Core Food Security Module to assess adult food security. Mothers were surveyed about where, when, and how often they shopped; the strategies they use when shopping; their use of alternative sources of food, including federal, state, and local assistance; and their ability to manage their resources. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Analysis of variance and χ2 analyses assessed the associations between demographic variables, shopping, accessing alternative food sources, and managing resources, and HHFSS. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the associations between HHFSS and maternal demographic variables, food shopping, strategies, alternative sources of food, and ability to manage resources. RESULTS: Maternal age and language spoken at home were significantly associated with HHFSS; food insecurity was 10% more likely among older mothers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.17) and 2.5 times more likely among Spanish-speaking households (compared with non-Spanish speaking [aOR 3.57, 95% CI 1.25 to 10.18]). Food insecurity was more likely among mothers reporting more informal strategies (aOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.28 to 3.01; P<0.05) and perceiving greater inability to manage resources (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.98; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that low-income mothers use a variety of strategies to feed their families and that the strategies they use vary by HHFSS. Community nutrition programs and providers will need to consider these strategies when counseling families at risk for food insecurity and provide guidance to minimize the influence on healthy food choices.

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