WARM’s Choice Market is located inside our building. It is a food pantry market, set up like a small grocery store, which provides clients  with choice. Clients shop using points based on household size, rather than money. A WARM team member guides clients as they shop through the aisles for food and household supplies. As often as every two weeks (or twice a month), clients choose approximately a 6-day supply of food based on the size of their family. The COVID-19 pandemic forced WARM to temporarily close its Choice Market and move to curbside pick-up with a pre-packaged variety of non-perishable items, meat, produce, dairy, bread, and baked goods. Although not ideal, this allowed WARM to meet the increased demand from the pandemic. Now, we are changing to a different type of Choice Market that will allow us to serve our clients even better, now and in the future.

 

Introducing a "New Way" of Shopping Our Choice Market

We are pleased to once again provide choice for families who live in the
Westerville City School District and meet the  income eligibility guidelines for food assistance. They can now shop our ONLINE Choice Market to choose the food, household supplies, and other items they want or need based on the size of their family.

Each family is assigned points based on the number of people in their household, which will be allocated to the food categories just like in the Choice Market in our building. Each item has a point value, instead of dollars, so that as a client selects an item, the points are subtracted from the total until all points are used or the client has what they want. Once finished shopping, they choose a date and time to pick up their order curbside in our parking lot. Clients may shop our ONLINE Choice Market as often as every two weeks for as long as they are eligible for food assistance.
 

While not quite the same as shopping our aisles, it is the next best thing. It is easy to order through a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other mobile device. WARM also provides an option for ordering by phone through our Help Center for those who are not comfortable ordering online or who do not have internet access.
 

Two Ways to order through the ONLINE Choice Market

Order Online
You can access the ONLINE Choice Market through www.warmwesterville.org/order. To log in and place an order, you will need a Shopper ID and PIN, assigned by WARM. Call our Help Center at 614-568-8700 Monday through Friday between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM to sign up and to make arrangements to pick up the instructional packet or have one emailed to you.

Order by Phone  
If you do not have internet access or are not comfortable ordering online, you can place an order in the ONLINE Choice Market by phone. Call our Help Center at 614-568-8700 Monday through Friday between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM to sign up and place an order.

If you have any questions about the ONLINE Choice Market, call the Help Center at 614-568-8700.

Green Light Pantry Project is nutritional suggestions or "nudges" based on behavioral economics. Numerous studies have been published applying the behavior economics  theory to health-food choice behaviors in hopes of enhancing healthy choices for consumers. 

Behavioral economics is defined as the study of social, cognitive, and emotional factors to understand and influence the economic decisions or purchasing behaviors of individuals or groups. It incorporates psychology, economics, and marketing to subconsciously "nudge" a consumer to make the healthier choice. 

"Nudges" are environmental cues that subconsciously guide a consumer towards one product over another. This can be accomplished by: signage, colors, packaging, product placement, displays. Our goal is to "nudge" the healthier foods so the client makes the right choice, without having to restrict the options themselves. WARM has the potential to make a difference in the health and quality of life of its clients. 

A FEW WAYS THE MARKET HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS TRANSITION:

• Food Pantry Shopping Flow

• Product Placement

• Signs

• Food Samples

• Visual Appeal

• Product Abundance/Variety

• Food and Meal Displays

• Nutritional Notes, Education and Resources.