Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy 13th Edition by Delbert Hawkins, David Mothersbaugh

Exercise 56

Social Class, Diet Quality, and the 99 Cent Store
Questions about the link between social class and dietary quality have been examined in a number of ways, including in the medical community. 98 A recent article indicates:
A large body of epidemiological data shows that diet quality follows a socioeconomic gradient. Whereas hither-quality diets are associated with greater affluence, energy-dense diets that are nutrient-poor are preferentially consumed by persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES) and of more limited economic means.
The article goes on to point out that it is critical to "dig deeper" into the underlying causes associated with social class. In the case of diet, these include the fact that nutritional foods often cost more, and physical access to affordable nutritional foods for disadvantaged groups is often limited. The reason a search for underlying causes is so important is that it has consequences for how groups market high-quality diets to lower-SES\lower-income groups. That is, simply recommending high-cost (but nutritional) foods to low income consumers is likely to be ineffective because the desire to consume a better diet among lower-SES\lower-income consumers would be hindered by inability to pay and limited access (no or few stores nearby that carry such foods).
The following relates the story of a lower-income consumer who was overweight. His access to lower-priced but nutritious foods through the 99 Cent Store became the answer to both of the barriers listed above, as you will see.
Papa Joe Aviance, a Los Angeles clothing designer and musician who weighed 450 pounds, decided he had to lose weight when he saw a video of himself. "I was 450 pounds-I was two cheeseburgers away from diabetes or high cholesterol, I have been big for pretty much all my life, and I was sick of hating myself. It was now or never." Not able to afford the prices of the vegetables and fruits from high-end food stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, he took up the suggestion of his friend to shop at the 99 Cent Store. His weekly $50 purchase at the 99 Cent Store, which included oatmeal, tuna fish, eggs, salad dressing, vegetables, and fruits, coupled with exercise of daily walks led to a weight loss of 250 pounds over 18 months.
The story confirms the medical article in showing that it is not social class per se that causes poor diet, but other key underlying mechanisms. Faced with inflexible food budgets, persons of lower SES find the relative high price of fruits and vegetables to be a barrier to their diet and choose the lower-priced, energy-dense foods that are high in fats and sugars. These dietary factors contribute to the observed health inequities. Individuals from lower-SES\lower-income groups have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and dental issues than individuals from higher-SES\higher-income groups.
The Papa Joe Aviance story highlights the key issues that (a) it is not enough to look only at social class in the abstract; (b) marketers and policymakers must look for deeper underlying factors, and address those; and (c) companies such as the 99 Cent Store can play a key role in helping lower-SES groups deal with serious health-related issues by dealing with the underlying factors rather than simply telling everyone that they should eat a healthy diet.
Awareness may be the first key. Generally speaking, American's tend to (incorrectly) believe that wealth is distributed more equally than it is. Moreover, a general awareness of the lack of physical availability of healthy food alternatives is likely lacking as well. A broader understanding of these challenges may be necessary for there to be more companies like the 99 Cent Store that tackle the hurdles facing those on the lower social strata.
How might general misperceptions of wealth distribution help to produce well-meaning but misguided approaches to encouraging healthier diets among lower-SES consumers