How could businesses with anchor positioning contribute to community wellbeing? A study of supermarket community support actions in the UK

Challenging economic and social conditions undermine community wellbeing across the UK. Using desk research and case studies, we examined how one business sector, UK supermarkets, support local communities through community-orientated support actions (COSAs) as part of Corporate Social Responsibility commitments. A theory of change was developed drawing on community wellbeing theory and community asset-based practices, providing a framework for data collection and development of detailed hypotheses for particular COSAs and resources invested. Findings present the results of analysis according to context-mechanism-outcome configurations representing scenarios for the mobilisation of: community colleague's time; donations of money/goods; and store space. Contextual enablers and barriers are also identified, with a view to supporting practice within and across business sectors as well as possible collaborations with state and voluntary sectors to enhance the contribution of COSAs to local communities in the future. Five areas of more ‘transformative’ actions which would require more concerted and collaborative efforts were identified: collaboration in the wider system; mobilising physical store assets; actions on household food security; economic interventions and empowering the local community; alongside possible system levers for doing so.