What can a shopping list tell us about economic disadvantage?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-12-22 11:01

International

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Grocery shopping data could be a quick way to estimate how many people in a region are suffering financially, according to international researchers. The team used machine learning to analyse millions of groceries bought at Tesco in Greater London in 2015 to see if there were patterns in the types of products bought that correlated with financial disadvantage. The researchers say those of lower socio-economic status tended to buy more water, more soft drinks and less alcohol, especially wine, while they also purchased foods that added up to a lower fibre content. They say this data could be used to quickly identify changes in the level of disadvantage in particular regions without identifying individuals.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Grocery shopping data can be used to give a rapid indicator of socio-economic deprivation. Researchers analysed purchasing patterns for 17 categories of grocery items, bought from Tesco supermarkets in the Greater London area in 2015, and their nutrient content. They found shoppers in areas of higher deprivation bought more water and soft drinks, but less fibrous food and wine. Insights from rapid, real-time measurement of deprivation can inform policies to improve our society, the authors say.

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Journal/
conference: Royal Society Open Science

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Exeter, UK

Funder: The authors received no funding for this manuscript.

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