title: The comparative cost of food and beverages at remote Indigenous communities, Northern Territory, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the average price difference between foods and beverages in remote Indigenous community stores and capital city supermarkets and explore differences across products.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey compared prices derived from point-of-sale data in 20 remote Northern Territory stores with supermarkets in capital cities of the Northern Territory and South Australia for groceries commonly purchased in remote stores. Average price differences for products, supply categories and food groups were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 443 products examined represented 63% of food and beverage expenditure in remote stores. Remote products were, on average, 60% and 68% more expensive than advertised prices for Darwin and Adelaide supermarkets, respectively. The average price difference for fresh products was half that of packaged groceries for Darwin supermarkets and more than 50% for food groups that contributed most to purchasing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strategies employed by manufacturers and supermarkets, such as promotional pricing, and supermarkets' generic products lead to lower prices. These opportunities are not equally available to remote customers and are a major driver of price disparity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food affordability for already disadvantaged residents of remote communities could be improved by policies targeted at manufacturers, wholesalers and/or major supermarket chains.
authors.affiliation: Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Diseases Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia.
authors.forename: Kerin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Dea
authors.affiliation: Statistics Department, Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatfield
authors.affiliation: Deakin Health Economics, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Marjory
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moodie
authors.affiliation: Regulatory Institutions Network, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.affiliation: Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Diseases Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brimblecombe
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001628:Beverages / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015876:Northern Territory; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: food cost; public policy; remote Indigenous