Designing Digital Nudging for Online Grocery Stores

Abstract

Online supermarkets have made grocery shopping easier for customers to purchase groceries remotely. The design of the user interface (UI) of online grocery stores plays a key role in shaping users’ daily food choices. However, the complexity of information and options available in these online environments can be overwhelming. Researchers in Information Systems (IS) and Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) have begun exploring digital nudging to drive user behaviour without restricting choices. This empowers system designers to use digital nudging for healthier and more sustainable food choices in online grocery stores. This thesis explores how system designers can use digital nudges to promote healthier and more sustainable food choices in online grocery stores. To begin, we1 conduct a scoping review of 74 studies from various domains (i.e., computing, health, marketing, and psychology) that focus on digital nudging in online supermarkets. Building on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model, we develop a conceptual framework that outlines the design choices, theories, and outcome variables used in this context. Following this, we conduct 30 interviews as part of a qualitative study on the expertise of three stakeholder groups: online grocery store users, healthy eating experts, and user experience design experts. Drawing on these insights, we formulate six recommendations to help online grocery store designers implement digital nudges to promote healthier food choices. We also conduct an online experiment with 332 participants, building on Reactance Theory to develop a theoretical model that explores the influence of transparency on users’ acceptability of digital nudges for healthy and sustainable food choice in an online grocery setting. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that digital nudges can influence user perceptions and nudge acceptance, particularly when designed with transparency and contextual focus, providing a starting point for future research on designing digital nudging in online grocery shopping.