Retail's Digital Shift Redefines Food Access

Research examines how online grocery, delivery apps, and AI are transforming the consumer food landscape.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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A new research report in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how the rapid digitalization of the retail food environment is reshaping food access in the United States. The report outlines both opportunities, such as increased convenience for rural and mobility-limited households, and risks, including the promotion of less healthy products through algorithm-driven marketing and targeted promotions.

Why it matters

This digital transformation of the retail food landscape raises important concerns about health equity, as digital marketing strategies may disproportionately influence the purchasing behaviors of low-income and marginalized populations. The report calls for evolving traditional food access frameworks and developing new assessment tools to account for the increasingly digital nature of the food environment.

The details

The report describes how online grocery platforms, mobile food delivery applications, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital marketing are transforming the way consumers encounter and purchase food. While expanded online grocery access and digital tools have the potential to increase convenience and support healthier choices, researchers note that digital retail platforms frequently promote less healthy products and use algorithm-driven marketing to influence purchasing behaviors.

  • The research report was published on March 5, 2026 in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

The players

Jared McGuirt

The lead author of the report, an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

The academic journal that published the research report, which is published by Elsevier.

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What they’re saying

“The retail food environment is increasingly digital, and this should change how we perceive, study, and measure food access. Digital interfaces now often shape what consumers see and understand about their food environment, what is promoted to them, what ends up in their shopping carts, and ultimately what they end up eating.”

— Jared McGuirt, Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior)

What’s next

The report calls for the development of new assessment tools capable of evaluating online marketing practices, digital product placement, pricing strategies, and algorithmic influences in order to better understand and address the implications of the digital transformation of the retail food environment.

The takeaway

This research highlights the need to evolve traditional food access frameworks and policies to ensure that the increasingly digital food landscape supports, rather than undermines, health equity and consumer well-being.