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SNAP online purchasing and the healthfulness of food purchases

Author

Listed:
  • I‐Hung Kuan
  • Yizao Liu
  • Jordan W. Jones
  • Pei Zhou

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot expansion (SNAP OPP) on SNAP households' online grocery shopping behaviors and the healthfulness of their food‐at‐home purchases. We explore quasi‐experimental estimates of the impact of online purchasing by leveraging a unique natural experiment: the staggered introduction of the SNAP OPP across US states. The analysis combines data on household food‐at‐home purchases around the time of the policy expansion with a dynamic difference‐in‐differences empirical strategy. The results indicate that the SNAP OPP increased the frequency of online grocery shopping, associated spending, and the healthfulness of food‐at‐home purchases among SNAP households.

Suggested Citation

  • I‐Hung Kuan & Yizao Liu & Jordan W. Jones & Pei Zhou, 2025. "SNAP online purchasing and the healthfulness of food purchases," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(3), pages 914-932, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:47:y:2025:i:3:p:914-932
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13528
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jones, Kyle & Leschewski, Andrea & Jones, Jordan & Melo, Grace, 2023. "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing Pilot’s impact on food insufficiency," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C. & Zhao, Jun, 2020. "Doubly robust difference-in-differences estimators," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 219(1), pages 101-122.
    3. Richard Volpe & Abigail Okrent & Ephraim Leibtag, 2013. "The Effect of Supercenter-format Stores on the Healthfulness of Consumers' Grocery Purchases," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(3), pages 568-589.
    4. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dong, Xiao & Byrne, Anne T. & Rhone, Alana & Ver Ploeg, Michele, 2025. "Review: untangling the complex economics of the local food retail environment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).

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