Summer Update on Double Up Food Bucks in New Jersey

August 9, 2019

The Double Up Food Bucks program we helped to bring to New Jersey in July 2019 continues to gain in participation through the one-year mark.

Through a partnership with the national nonprofit Fair Food Network, Double Up Food Bucks matches the value of NJ SNAP dollars spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, helping low-income families bring home more nutritious foods. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

With funding from the Community Foundation, Victoria Foundation, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, and many individual New Jerseyans, the Double Up Food Bucks program began running in July 2018 at these locations:

  • ShopRite of Newark: 206 Springfield Ave., Newark, NJ 07103
  • ShopRite of East Orange: 533 Martin Luther King Blvd., East Orange, NJ 07019
  • ShopRite of Kearny: 100 Passaic Ave., Kearny, NJ 07032
  • ShopRite of Hillside: 370 Route 22, West Hillside, NJ 07205

Update on Progress

We are pleased to share that since the introduction of Double Up Food Bucks, these stores have vastly improved their redemption rates and the impact of the program on Newark-area families continues to grow. Double Up is now running year-round and coupons are distributed using a 6-week rolling expiration date from the date of distribution.

From January through June 2019:

  • SNAP shoppers earned $63,903 in Double Up coupons on purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • SNAP shoppers spent $28,309 worth of Double Up coupons on more fresh produce.
  • There have been a total of 29,700 transactions (earning + spending) with more than 1,150 unique spending households.
  • Cumulative redemption rate for 2019 is 48.14%, a significant increase from the 2018 final cumulative redemption rate (43%),the average redemption rate for coupons in stores is 2-20%.

Three out of four participating stores saw an increase in SNAP purchases made on fresh produce in comparison to the previous year:

  • East Orange: 5.43% increase in produce purchases made by SNAP shoppers
  • Kearny: 1.09% increase in produce purchases made by SNAP shoppers
  • Newark: 4.5% increase in produce purchases made by SNAP shoppers

All stores saw increased redemption rates in comparison to the previous quarter. Cumulative redemption amounts and rates for individual stores are:

  • East Orange: $24,170 in distributions, 43.52% cum redemption rate
  • Hillside: $7169, in distributions, 31.28% redemption rate
  • Kearny: $26,966 in distributions, 31.24% redemption rate
  • Newark: $5,598 in distributions, 86.51% redemption rate

Quantity of in-store customer service desk inquiries about the program:

  • East Orange: 947
  • Hillside: 119
  • Kearny: 615
  • Newark: 340