Anticipation of the Positive Effect of Changing Food Markting in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The hospitality sector contributes significantly to the community health. The food environment in retailers, restaurants and coffee shops can shape individuals' eating habits. Thus, the Saudi Food and Drug Ministry considers transforming food environment in the country in order to boost health. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia has a high number of noncommunicable diseases attributed mostly to less healthy eating habits. In actual fact, interventions in grocery retailer outlets, becomes a popular strategy to nudge healthier purchasing. Product placement, for instance, is one of the most popular forms of retail intervention used to stimulate consumers to make healthier decisions, thereby reducing the numbers of obesity and its complications as it has reached an epidemic stage in Saudi Arabia. This dissertation, therefore, analyses the association between product placement of food in retail outlets and dietary behaviour and purchasing of these products. This study applies a semi-structured interview approach in light of the lack of existing publications addressing the impact of product placement on people dietary habits and health outcomes specifically in my geographical location. The findings indicate that food environment in retail outlets significantly impacts consumers' choices. This study has found that the product placement technique positively promotes and increases healthy food consumption which subsequently boosts health; it also stimulates costumers to buy products deemed to be healthy. Several motivations, including the placing, price, appearance and promotion, may encourage consumers to buy the food product.