Overview
- Researchers analyzed 420 million anonymized items bought by 1.6 million London Tesco Clubcard users at 411 stores in 2015, grouping purchases into 12 food categories.
- Clusters of nutrient-deficient purchasing were identified in East London, notably Newham, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham, and in parts of the northwest and west such as Ealing and Brent.
- Areas with more nutritious purchasing were concentrated in inner northwest boroughs, with reporting also highlighting examples such as Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, Camden, Islington, and parts of Southwark and Wandsworth.
- The study found that links between diet quality and factors like income, car ownership, and the proportion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic residents varied across neighborhoods, indicating local drivers beyond simple store proximity.
- The authors argue purchase data better pinpoints where targeted, culturally sensitive public-health interventions are needed, while noting limits of a Tesco-only, 2015 dataset that omits food eaten out and warrants replication with other retailers.