1. The complexities of selling fruits and vegetables in remote Navajo Nation retail outlets: perspectives from owners and managers of small stores.
- Author
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Piltch EM, Shin SS, Houser RF, and Griffin T
- Subjects
- Commerce, Consumer Behavior, Diet, Female, Food Assistance, Fruit economics, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, New Mexico, Poverty, Snacks, Supermarkets, Vegetables economics, Food Supply, Fruit supply & distribution, Rural Population, Vegetables supply & distribution, American Indian or Alaska Native
- Abstract
Objective: Navajo Nation residents experience extreme rates of poverty, food insecurity and diet-related diseases. While many residents travel far to shop at grocery stores, there are small stores closer to home that could provide more healthy options, like fruits and vegetables (F&V). Little is known from the perspective of store owners and managers regarding the barriers and facilitators to offering F&V; the present study contributes to filling that gap., Design: Data were collected through structured interviews from a sampling frame of all store owners or managers in the setting (n 29)., Setting: Small stores in Navajo Nation, New Mexico, USA. Navajo Nation is predominantly rural and the largest federally recognized Native American tribe in the USA., Participants: Sixteen managers and six owners at twenty-two stores., Results: When asked about the types of foods that were most commonly purchased at their stores, most participants reported snacks and drinks (82 and 68 %, respectively). Many participants reported they would like to offer more fresh F&V. However, barriers included varying perceived customer demand, limited F&V choices from distributors and (for some managers) limited authority over product selection., Conclusions: Findings contribute to the discussion on engaging store owners and managers in providing quality, healthy foods close to home in low-income, rural regions.
- Published
- 2020
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