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NCT Number: NCT07368881

Fast Food Online Delivery Purchase Behaviour in the Presence and Absence of Price-based Incentives

Consumption of out-of-home (OOH) food is associated with significantly greater energy and less-healthy nutrient (i.e. fats, salt and sugar) intake. The price of food is a key consideration of food choice, particularly for individuals of lower socioeconomic position (SEP). Little research to date has examined the causal effect of removing price-based incentives on purchasing behaviour in OOH food settings. One online randomised controlled trial explored the effect of removing three types of price-based incentives individually and in combination, on food choice through a virtual food delivery platform. This study found that energy selection was 7-8% lower when price incentives were removed. While not statistically significant, Bayes factors indicted that data comparing control vs "all promotions removed" conditions were inconclusive (BF10 = 0.55) and therefore could not provide support for the alternative or null hypotheses. A limitation of this study is that the outcome was hypothetical food choice. As participants would not pay for or receive their selected meals, the prices of foods may have been less salient, thus reducing the potential for impact. In the present study, exploring real-world consumer behaviour (as opposed to hypothetical choice) will better determine the potential impact of removing price-based incentives in the OOH food sector.

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Key information

Conditions

Food Purchases Behavior Behavior, Animal Body Weight Eating Behaviour Feeding Behavior Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Obesity Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

See attached study protocol for detailed information

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Able to order and pay for a takeaway pizza for delivery today or tomorrow
  • Currently reside in select postcode areas
  • Manchester (M13 store): M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M18, M19
  • Liverpool (L3 store): L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L8, L13, L15
  • Birmingham (B27 store): B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B25, B26, B27, B28, B33, B90, B91, B92
  • Over the age of 18 years
  • Report having used food delivery services in the last year

Exclusion criteria

  • Partaking in a fast or other restrictive eating (e.g. for religious or health reasons) at time of participation
  • A previous eating disorder diagnosis
  • Currently on appetite-suppressing medication
  • Dietary restrictions/intolerances including:
  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Sugar-free

Treatment and study plan

Experimental

Behavioral

Food menus will provided with all three types of price promotions removed

Control

Behavioral

Participants will be asked to select a meal from a pizza outlet with all price-based incentives present (value pricing, price reductions, bulk-buy incentives).

Primary outcomes

  1. Energy consumed per household member

    Time frame: The morning after food orders are placed.

    Main participants will select a food order on behalf of their household. The day after receiving their food order, all participants will be asked to estimate the amount of each ordered item that they ate. This information will be used to estimate energy consumed by each household member.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Total monetary spend per household member

    Time frame: Immediately after food choice

    Participants will select their food order. The total monetary value of the food order will be divided by the number of reported household members to get a value of monetary spend per household member.

  2. Energy content per household member

    Time frame: Immediately after food choice

    Participants will select their food order. The total energy content of the food order will be divided by the number of reported household members to get a value of energy content per household member.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Amy Finlay

CONTACT

[email protected]

Eric Robinson

CONTACT

[email protected]

+44 (0)151 794 ext. 1187

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Liverpool

Other

Collaborators

  • Economic and Social Research Council, United Kingdom
  • Liverpool John Moores University
  • University of Bristol

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 27, 2026
Registry last updated
May 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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