Negotiating healthy food retail initiatives in the research project Healthier Choices in Supermarkets: an ethnographic study of a partnership between health intervention researchers, food retailers, and public health advocates

Using the lens of institutional logics, we show how differing interests and perspectives between partners - for example regarding health and consumer behaviour - can make it difficult to realize the original research ideas and build a trusting relationship. Overall, this study illustrates the complexity of research partnerships with commercial actors such as food retailers. To develop and implement effective health-promotion initiatives in a food retail setting, researchers must stay mindful of their initial research interest, integrity, and study design, ensuring they are not compromised in the collaboration.