Empowering Healthy Food Environments in Remote Communities, One Shelf at a Time
A new study led by Professor Julie Brimblecombe and the Remote Food Systems team at Monash University’s Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food has shown that meaningful improvements in remote store food environments are possible with the right tool and collaboration.
Published in BMC Public Health, the study evaluated the Store Scout App, a decision-support tool designed to help nutrition professionals work alongside remote store managers to assess and improve in-store health practices. Used across 12 remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia, the App provided a structured way to review store layouts and marketing approaches and co-design evidence-informed actions that promote healthier food choices.
“Remote community stores are a vital source of food and nutrition,” said Professor Brimblecombe. “Our research shows that when nutrition professionals and store managers work together using tools like Store Scout, they can create real change that improves food environments and supports community health.”
After four to five months, all participating stores showed improvements in their practice scores across multiple food categories, particularly snack foods. While changes were modest and not statistically significant, the upward trend suggests a growing adoption of best-practice food retail strategies.
A Platform for Partnership and Change
Store Scout was developed by Menzies School of Health Research and has been validated for its ease of use, reliability, and ability to provide immediate, actionable feedback. In this study, it proved particularly valuable as a bridge between health professionals and retailers. It helped to build relationships and encourage tailored, realistic improvements that reflected local context.
Nutrition professionals praised the app’s ability to generate instant reports, guide strategic discussions, and foster store-led solutions. “It gave us a way to talk constructively about what was working and what could be better,” said one participant.
The tool’s co-design features allowed store managers to select from a range of best-practice actions, such as improving product placement or reducing unhealthy food promotions, based on what was feasible in their store environment.
Looking Ahead
Professor Brimblecombe’s team sees Store Scout as part of a broader shift towards community-driven, sustainable food system change.
“This research highlights the importance of equipping nutrition professionals with the tools and training to walk alongside communities and retailers in shaping healthier food environments,” she said. “The Store Scout App isn’t just about measuring. It is about partnering, listening, and improving together.”
While the project focused on remote Aboriginal communities, the authors note the app’s potential for broader application, including in regional and urban settings.
“This work reflects Monash’s commitment to real-world, translational impact. We aim to turn evidence into action to improve community health outcomes,” said Professor Brimblecombe.
The research was conducted in collaboration with NT Health and Outback Stores Pty Ltd, and supported by a team of co-authors including Amanda Hill, Meaghan Christian, Gina Absalom, and Emma McMahon.
Read the full open-access article in BMC Public Health
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
For more news, visit Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences or Monash University.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES