|
How Much Does
Food Cost?
Market Basket Survey is a
tool often used to assess food availability and affordability in a
community. In our study, a market basket survey was conducted at
the food retail establishments by three groups of students. The
first basket survey by SOC 350 students in the fall of 2004 used 12
common food items to determine their availability and prices at
retail stores across Lexington. In the survey by SOC 517 students
in the fall of 2006, we added fresh broccoli to the list of market
basket items to determine their availability and affordability at
those retail stores located in the two case study areas. In the
spring of 2007, undergraduate students in HON 115: World Food
Issues II – Your Daily Bread conducted another round of the
market basket survey among 22 large-scale grocery stores in
Lexington, including 12 Kroger stores, two Meijer stores, two
Wal-Mart Superstores, three Save-A-Lot stores, Whole Foods Market,
Good Foods Market & Café, and Slone’s Signature Market. In all
three phases, the market basket survey was conducted over the span
of a week.
Items Used for the Market Basket Survey in Lexington, KY,
2004-07.
|
Product |
Unit |
Product |
Unit |
|
Produce |
|
Dairy & Meat |
|
|
Apples |
1
lb |
Milk, 1 % |
1
gallon |
|
Lettuce |
1
lb |
Cheese, cheddar |
1
lb |
|
Potatoes |
1
lb |
Ground beef |
1
lb |
|
Tomatoes |
1
lb |
Chicken, fryer whole or
cut-up |
1
lb |
|
Broccoli, frozen1 |
1
lb |
Eggs, Grade A., large |
1
dz |
|
Broccoli, fresh2 |
1
lb |
|
|
|
Dry |
|
|
|
|
Bread, whole wheat |
2
lbs |
|
|
|
Spaghetti |
1
lb box |
|
|
Note:
1. Frozen broccoli was used in the market basket survey in HON
115 (Spring 2007). 2. Fresh broccoli was not used in the
market basket survey in SOC 350 (Fall 2004).
SOC350 FOOD
SECURITY (Fall 2004)
Market Basket
Survey Results
Lexington Areas Used in SOC 350, Fall 2004.
|
Area
No. |
Name |
Main Arteries |
Area
No. |
Name |
Main Arteries |
|
1 |
Southeastern |
Tates Creek |
5 |
North |
Winburn, N. Broadway |
|
2 |
Eastern |
Richmond, Park Hill |
6 |
Northwest |
Leestown, Versailles |
|
3 |
Northeastern |
Hamburg, Woodhill |
7 |
West |
Harrodsburg, Alexandria |
|
4 |
East Downtown |
Winchester, Loudon |
8 |
Southwest |
Nicholasville, Virginia |
Number of Food Retailers Used for the Market Basket Survey
in Lexington,
by Area, Fall 2004.
Availability and Affordability of Market
Basket Items, Fall 2004 (N=52)
|
Item |
Valid N |
Missing
N |
Mean
Price |
Lowest
Price |
Highest
Price |
|
Apple |
25 |
27 |
$0.45 |
$2.89 |
$1.22 |
|
Lettuce |
25 |
27 |
$0.59 |
$2.69 |
$1.46 |
|
Potato |
25 |
27 |
$0.18 |
$1.29 |
$0.66 |
|
Tomato |
25 |
27 |
$0.89 |
$2.99 |
$1.77 |
|
Broccolli |
22 |
30 |
$0.88 |
$2.79 |
$1.30 |
|
Bread |
43 |
9 |
$0.99 |
$5.78 |
$2.46 |
|
Spaghetti |
45 |
7 |
$0.49 |
$3.39 |
$1.13 |
|
Milk |
46 |
6 |
$1.88 |
$4.39 |
$2.90 |
|
Cheese |
31 |
21 |
$2.18 |
$10.80 |
$4.30 |
|
Ground-beef |
21 |
31 |
$1.59 |
$3.39 |
$2.20 |
|
Chicken |
22 |
30 |
$0.67 |
$3.99 |
$1.87 |
|
Eggs |
35 |
17 |
$0.59 |
$2.29 |
$1.11 |
Average Market Basket Price in Lexington, by
Area, Fall 2004.
SOC517 RURAL
SOCIOLOGY (Fall 2006)
Market Basket
Survey Results
Mapping of Food
Establishments in Lexington North and Lexington South, October 2007.
|
|
North |
South |
|
Grocery Stores |
16
|
2
|
|
Convenient Stores1 |
4
|
13
|
|
Liquor Stores |
3
|
3
|
|
Restaurants |
15
|
33
|
|
Fast-food Restaurants |
5
|
26
|
|
Others |
4
|
13
|
|
TOTAL |
47
|
90
|
Note: 1. Gas stations are included in this category.
Stores Which Do Not
Sell A Single Item in the Market Basket in Lexington North and
Lexington South, October 2006.
|
Item |
North
(N=17) |
South
(N=18) |
|
Whole
Wheat Bread |
3 |
7 |
|
1%
Milk |
1 |
4 |
|
Grade
A Large Eggs |
6 |
11 |
|
Apples |
16 |
17 |
|
Tomatoes |
14 |
18 |
|
Spaghetti |
8 |
11 |
|
Lettuce |
17 |
18 |
|
Potatoes |
10 |
18 |
|
Broccoli (Fresh) |
16 |
18 |
|
Broccoli (Frozen) |
17 |
18 |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
9 |
15 |
|
Ground Beef |
15 |
18 |
|
Fryer
Cut-up Chicken |
14 |
18 |
Market Basket Survey
Results: Prices for Selected Items in Lexington North, October 2006.
|
|
Apples |
Potatoes |
Tomatoes |
Whole Wheat Bread |
Milk |
Eggs |
|
Valid
N |
1
|
6
|
3
|
14
|
16
|
11
|
|
Missing N |
16
|
11
|
14
|
3
|
1
|
6
|
|
Mean
|
$0.99
|
$0.71
|
$1.54
|
$1.64
|
$3.67
|
$1.66
|
|
Minimum |
$0.99
|
$0.49
|
$1.00
|
$0.99
|
$2.69
|
$1.39
|
|
Maximum |
$0.99
|
$1.00
|
$1.87
|
$2.49
|
$4.19
|
$2.19
|
|
Base-Price1 |
$0.91 |
$0.62 |
$1.41 |
$1.38 |
$2.21 |
$1.33 |
Note: 1. The base-price comes from the mean of prices among 20
large-scale grocery stores in Lexington, excluding Wild Oats Natural
Marketplace and Good Foods Market & Café.
Market Basket Survey
Results: Prices for Selected Items in Lexington South, October 2006.
|
|
Apples |
Potatoes |
Tomatoes |
Whole Wheat Bread |
Milk2 |
Eggs |
|
Valid
N |
0
|
0 |
0
|
11
|
14
|
6
|
|
Missing N |
18
|
18 |
18
|
7
|
4
|
12
|
|
Mean
|
|
|
|
$2.25
|
$3.25
|
$1.33
|
|
Minimum |
|
|
|
$1.59
|
$2.69
|
$1.19
|
|
Maximum |
|
|
|
$3.49
|
$3.99
|
$1.49
|
|
Base-Price1 |
$0.91 |
$0.62 |
$1.41 |
$1.38 |
$2.21 |
$1.33 |
Note: 1. The base-price comes from the mean of prices among 20
large-scale grocery stores in Lexington, excluding Wild Oats Natural
Marketplace and Good Foods Market & Café. 2. Out of 14, 13 stores
did not have 1% milk, and thus substituted with 2% milk.
HON115 WORLD
FOOD ISSUES II (Spring 2007)
Market Basket
Survey Results
Mean
Prices of the Market Basket Survey Items at Large-Scale Grocery
Stores in Lexington, March 2007.
|
|
Minimum |
Maximum |
Mean among
All Stores1 |
Mean among Chains2 |
|
Whole
Wheat Bread |
$0.53
|
$3.99
|
$1.62
|
$1.38 |
|
1%
Milk |
$0.89
|
$3.26
|
$2.15
|
$2.21 |
|
Grade
A Large Eggs |
$0.88
|
$2.59
|
$1.41
|
$1.33 |
|
Apples |
$0.33
|
$1.99
|
$1.05
|
$0.91 |
|
Tomatoes |
$0.99
|
$2.49
|
$1.49
|
$1.41 |
|
Spaghetti |
$0.38
|
$5.99
|
$1.87
|
$1.43 |
|
Lettuce |
$0.46
|
$2.99
|
$1.04
|
$0.90 |
|
Potatoes |
$0.27
|
$3.99
|
$0.89
|
$0.62 |
|
Broccoli (Fresh) |
$1.00
|
$4.99
|
$2.15
|
$1.96 |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
$2.24
|
$6.29
|
$3.83
|
$3.70 |
|
Ground Beef |
$0.99
|
$4.49
|
$2.62
|
$2.49 |
|
Fryer
Cut-up Chicken |
$0.89
|
$5.39
|
$1.79
|
$0.89 |
Notes: 1. Includes the prices collected from all 22 stores; 2.
Excludes those from Wild Oats Natural Marketplace and Good Foods
Market & Café.
Market
Basket Prices in Lexington, KY, from Low to High, March 2007.
|
Map No. |
Store Name |
Price |
Map No. |
Store Name |
Price |
|
11 |
Kroger |
$16.78 |
14 |
Meijer |
$20.95 |
|
2 |
Kroger |
$17.06 |
13 |
Meijer |
$21.04 |
|
16 |
Wal-Mart
Supercenter |
$17.29 |
7 |
Kroger |
$21.28 |
|
17 |
Save-A-Lot |
$17.39 |
5 |
Kroger |
$21.82 |
|
12 |
Kroger |
$17.87 |
9 |
Kroger |
$23.11 |
|
19 |
Save-A-Lot |
$17.87 |
8 |
Kroger |
$23.29 |
|
3 |
Kroger |
$18.50 |
10 |
Kroger |
$23.47 |
|
6 |
Kroger |
$18.66 |
1 |
Kroger |
$23.57 |
|
18 |
Save-A-Lot |
$18.66 |
22 |
Slone’s |
$24.44 |
|
15 |
Wal-Mart
Supercenter |
$19.35 |
20 |
Wild Oats |
$35.98 |
|
4 |
Kroger |
$20.38 |
21 |
Good
Foods |
$39.21 |
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