Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns
Abstract Objective: To describe menu item prices and promotions on a meal delivery app in the UK and explore their socio-economic patterns. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive analysis Setting: We analysed over 21 million menu items from 71 532 food outlets listed on JustEat across the UK. We...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025100529/type/journal_article |
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| author | Yuru Huang Nuwan Weerasinghe Jean Adams Holly Rippin Kathrin Hetz Olga Zhiteneva Kremlin Wickramasinghe |
| author_facet | Yuru Huang Nuwan Weerasinghe Jean Adams Holly Rippin Kathrin Hetz Olga Zhiteneva Kremlin Wickramasinghe |
| author_sort | Yuru Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Abstract
Objective:
To describe menu item prices and promotions on a meal delivery app in the UK and explore their socio-economic patterns.
Design:
Cross-sectional descriptive analysis
Setting:
We analysed over 21 million menu items from 71 532 food outlets listed on JustEat across the UK. We assessed median prices and types of promotions, examining variations by cuisine (e.g. chicken dishes, pizza) and outlet type (i.e. grocery, chain takeaways). Promotions were categorised into six types: percentage off, stamp cards, free items, meal deal notifications, buy one get one free and low delivery fees.
Results:
The median number of food outlets accessible via JustEat was sixty-nine per postcode district with delivery access (IQR = 14–225). The median menu item price was £6·25, with small/independent takeaways showing the highest prices. Menu item prices were generally lower in more deprived areas. Promotions were prevalent, with 65·96 % of outlets offering at least one. Outlets delivering to more deprived areas tended to offer more promotions, with the most common being low delivery fees, stamp cards and percentage off. Price and promotion strategies differed across cuisines and outlet types.
Conclusions:
Online menu item prices are relatively high, and promotions are widespread in the UK. Food outlets serving deprived areas often offer lower prices and more promotions. These targeted pricing and promotional strategies may influence purchasing behaviour and contribute to diet and health inequalities. Further research is needed to assess their impact on dietary behaviours and population health and guide policy interventions in the digital food environment.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-de8d692f2afd4dd1a2bf75ce172343ca |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-de8d692f2afd4dd1a2bf75ce172343ca2025-08-20T03:30:28ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272025-01-012810.1017/S1368980025100529Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patternsYuru Huang0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6800-0272Nuwan Weerasinghe1Jean Adams2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5733-7830Holly Rippin3Kathrin Hetz4Olga Zhiteneva5Kremlin Wickramasinghe6Special Initiative on NCDs and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Box 285 Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Hart Hall, 301 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USASpecial Initiative on NCDs and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkMRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Box 285 Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UKSpecial Initiative on NCDs and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkSpecial Initiative on NCDs and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkSpecial Initiative on NCDs and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2100 Copenhagen, DenmarkSpecial Initiative on NCDs and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark Abstract Objective: To describe menu item prices and promotions on a meal delivery app in the UK and explore their socio-economic patterns. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive analysis Setting: We analysed over 21 million menu items from 71 532 food outlets listed on JustEat across the UK. We assessed median prices and types of promotions, examining variations by cuisine (e.g. chicken dishes, pizza) and outlet type (i.e. grocery, chain takeaways). Promotions were categorised into six types: percentage off, stamp cards, free items, meal deal notifications, buy one get one free and low delivery fees. Results: The median number of food outlets accessible via JustEat was sixty-nine per postcode district with delivery access (IQR = 14–225). The median menu item price was £6·25, with small/independent takeaways showing the highest prices. Menu item prices were generally lower in more deprived areas. Promotions were prevalent, with 65·96 % of outlets offering at least one. Outlets delivering to more deprived areas tended to offer more promotions, with the most common being low delivery fees, stamp cards and percentage off. Price and promotion strategies differed across cuisines and outlet types. Conclusions: Online menu item prices are relatively high, and promotions are widespread in the UK. Food outlets serving deprived areas often offer lower prices and more promotions. These targeted pricing and promotional strategies may influence purchasing behaviour and contribute to diet and health inequalities. Further research is needed to assess their impact on dietary behaviours and population health and guide policy interventions in the digital food environment. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025100529/type/journal_articleMeal delivery appsDigital food environmentMarketingPricingPromotions |
| spellingShingle | Yuru Huang Nuwan Weerasinghe Jean Adams Holly Rippin Kathrin Hetz Olga Zhiteneva Kremlin Wickramasinghe Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns Public Health Nutrition Meal delivery apps Digital food environment Marketing Pricing Promotions |
| title | Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns |
| title_full | Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns |
| title_fullStr | Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns |
| title_short | Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns |
| title_sort | menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the uk and their socio economic patterns |
| topic | Meal delivery apps Digital food environment Marketing Pricing Promotions |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025100529/type/journal_article |
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