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Success for Northgate Gonzalez markets in Southern California all comes down to its healthy marketing tactics.
Since their Viva la Salud, they have been working in their stores to create healthy marketing and a comprehensive wellness program to entice shoppers to choose fresh fruits and vegetables and healthier products.
Back in 2016, LA parents saw that more needed to be done in all grocery stores around California, where checkout lanes tempted parents and kids alike with unhealthy foods like sodas, chips, and candies.
Parents worked with groups including Choose Health LA Kids, Los Angeles County Department of Health, First 5 LA, the Interagency Retail Alliance (IRA) which includes Choose Health LA Kids-Choose Health LA Kids—The Children’s Clinic, AltaMed, Public Health Foundation WIC Program (PHFE WIC), Lawndale Elementary School District, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles—formed the Interagency Retail Alliance (IRA) to support local parents’ work to make healthy changes in their communities.
“In its first month, the healthy aisle was doing 3 times more sales a week than the regular aisles,” Teresa Blanco, a wellness manager for the stores told ChangeLab Solutions. “And employees really appreciate it because it’s a great place to pick up a snack at lunch time.”
The aisles that sold sodas and candies in the popular California-based supermarket chains have now changed ten checkout lanes to extend the stores first market test, continuing to offer up fresh fruit, nuts, granola, oatmeal, dried fruit, low-fat yogurts, and waters.
With the help of the ChangeLab Solutions report Marketing Matters, parents and supporters were able to rally behind policy-specific training and get technical assistance from ChangeLab Solutions’ Sabrina Adler to keep moving forward for a healthy change.
The changes will continue through IRA-Northgate partnership with feedback from parents.
“One thing we’re hoping to do is have parents and community members involved in the launch of each aisle. Parents made this possible, and they can empower people in their communities to make other changes happen,” Sharen Anthony, senior nutritionist at Public Health Foundation WIC Program told ChangeLabs.
To learn more about the need for healthier marketing and healthier food access for families, click here.
By The Numbers
1
Supermarket
for every Latino neighborhood, compared to 3 for every non-Latino neighborhood
