NuVal Scoring System has a direct impact on consumer purchasing decisions
The University of Pittsburgh recently conducted a study with a regional grocery chain to determine if the use of the NuVal Scoring System has a direct impact on consumer behavior and decisions, according to Topco Associates LLC, an Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based retailer cooperative,. The NuVal Scoring System is a proprietary food scoring system created in 2008 by Topco and Griffin Hospital of Derby, Conn. It aims to make it easier for shoppers to choose healthful foods by scoring food products on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the score, the better the nutritional value. When the study concluded, the use of the NuVal Scoring System helped shoppers improve the nutritional value of the food they purchased by more than 20 percent.
During the study, researchers measured 40.2 million purchases among 528,000 shoppers and eight product categories: frozen pizza, ice cream, salad dressing, soup, spaghetti sauce, tomato products, granola/nutrition bars and yogurt. Data were sampled six months prior to the launch of NuVal in store and six months after the launch, Topco said.
“The volume purchased by customers was significantly greater after NuVal scores were launched on shelf; units purchased saw an average increase of 2.3 units, or 29.31 ounces," said Anne Bernier, senior operations director, NuVal LLC, Quincy, Mass. "The increase in volume relative to NuVal Scores also helped boost sales, but just as importantly, the scoring worked as intended, which is to be a guide for shoppers to make healthier choices.
"Shoppers increased their purchase volume by 2.06 ounces for every 1 percent increase in the NuVal Score of their purchases," she continued. "Overall, those shoppers who switched to higher-scoring items increased their purchase volume by 4 percent. There were some differences seen between groups, but, in final analysis, sales increased 2.5 percent across the eight categories analyzed.”
The study demonstrated that increased accessibility of reliable nutritional information led to better choices, Topco said.
J. Jeffrey Inman, professor of marketing and business administration at the University of Pittsburgh, noted that the “study indicated that the NuVal nutritional scale had an immediate and powerful impact on shoppers’ decisions.” Additionally, he stated that “grocery stores were able to create a win-win by helping their customers make healthier choices, while also increasing sales at their store.”
As food retail embraces its role in health and wellness, NuVal Scores could serve as a personal store-level resource to help shoppers shift their purchasing habits toward more healthful items. It could also assist the retailer with curating their offerings to meet their shoppers' needs, Topco said.