Price Variability Across Food Product and Vendor Type in Food Benefit Redemptions Under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

by Patrick W. McLaughlin, Stacy Gleason, and Margaret Wilkin

This report examines variability in WIC food transaction prices across store formats and WIC State agencies in the Midwest, Western, Southwest, and Mountain Plains using purchase-level data on 2014 Electronic Benefit Transfer transactions. While mass merchandisers and traditional grocers have the lowest transaction prices in many product categories, prices vary greatly by State and store format.

Keywords: WIC, WIC food prices, WIC redemptions, cost containment

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Report summary