Studying Food Price Data

Challenge

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) relies on accurate food price data to develop and inform federal nutrition and agricultural policies. However, limited data exist on food prices in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories. Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) sought a partner to design and test the feasibility of collecting representative food and beverage prices in these areas.

Solution

Through this study, our subsidiary, WRMA, supports FNS by collecting food price data to accurately estimate the prices of foods and beverages in the Thrifty Food Plan market basket. Over a two-year data collection period, we are recruiting a representative sample of retailers in each state and territory, working with individual retailers to determine the best data collection approach, and collecting food prices. The collected data will be harmonized into a single analytic dataset to estimate average food prices in each location, then summarize findings in a report for the USDA at the end of the five-year project.

Learn More About This Project

Research Study Design

We are working with FNS to devise a rigorous sampling, recruitment, and data collection strategy to collect data from a representative sample of retailers in Alaska, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our approach increases the likelihood of retailer participation and ensures food prices are inclusive of store types and locations.

Data Collection

Our methods include extracting electronic data from retailer transaction logs or websites. To accommodate smaller retailers, we developed tools for self-reporting and an in-person shelf price survey. By implementing a multi-mode approach, we can design and test a variety of collection methods to assess the feasibility of incorporating different methods into future FNS data collection activities.