Retail SLAQ
Retail SLAQ FAQ
- Who should complete the Food Retail SLAQ?
- Can I use the Retail SLAQ for large food stores?
- How should the Retail SLAQ be completed?
- How does the Retail SLAQ compare to the CX3 Retail Food Availability and Marketing Tool?
- I need a translation of the Retail SLAQ interview questions. What should I do?
Who should complete the Food Retail SLAQ?
A SLAQ should be completed for each food retail store where an LHD is engaged in site-level PSE work. A SLAQ is not required for sites where CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) work does not involve PSE, or where PSE is not happening at the site level (e.g., working with grocery association or headquarters for chain stores).
Can I use the Retail SLAQ for large food stores?
Yes! While the pilot version of the Retail SLAQ (FFY 2019-2020) was designed for small food stores (fewer than 4 registers), the Retail SLAQ has been re-configured so that starting in FFY 2021, it can be completed for both small and large stores.
How should the Retail SLAQ be completed?
Starting in FFY 2021, the Retail SLAQ will be available as an online survey in Survey 123. There are 3 options for completing the Retail SLAQ:
- complete on paper first and then enter it into the online survey;
- complete it on a mobile device, with or without Internet access, using the Survey 123 app; or
- complete it directly in the online survey, on a mobile device (must have Internet access).
Additional instructions and more information about the pros and cons for each method are included in the Retail SLAQ protocol, available on the Retail SLAQ Questionnaires subpage.
How does the Retail SLAQ compare to the CX3 Retail Food Availability and Marketing Tool?
Many sections of the Retail SLAQ were based on the CX3 Retail Food Availability and Marketing Tool, so if you are familiar with the CX3 instrument, much of the SLAQ will seem familiar to you. Compared to the CX3, the SLAQ includes or expands sections to include more detail on behavioral economics strategies (e.g. point-of-decision signage and product placement); the price data collection only involves prices of products found in the store (no need to gather community comparison data); new sections about made-to-order foods and fountain drinks; and a set of interview questions to better understand the non-observable factors and store practices currently in place that will affect intervention planning.
The biggest difference between the Retail SLAQ and CX3 is not related to question content but has to do with the larger purpose. While the CX3 set of tools were designed to assess community-level factors, the SLAQs are all site-level assessments and should only be used once you have a site recruited and engaged in your CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) work – SLAQs do not help determine whether you should work in a site; rather, they help identify the areas of opportunity that exist at each site. Additionally, SLAQs are completed annually, while the community-level CX3s were completed on a 4-year cycle.
For detail on how questions from the CX3 Retail Food Availability and Marketing tool line up with the Retail SLAQ, take a look at the scoring key, available on the Retail SLAQ Questionnaires subpage.
I need a translation of the Retail SLAQ interview questions. What should I do?
We have translated the store owner/manager interview portion of the SLAQ into the following languages: Chinese (traditional and simplified characters), Khmer, Spanish, and Vietnamese. They are available on the Retail SLAQ Questionnaires subpage as Word documents and PDFs.
Is there a language that you need that you don’t see on this list?
Please let us know at EvaluateSNAPEd@ucanr.edu.