In the past, grocery stores were primarily used for purchasing basic food items and occasionally household supplies. However, with the rise of one-stop shops like Target and Walmart, traditional grocery chains have had to find new ways to stay competitive and attract customers.
According to a white paper by Placer.ai, many national grocery chains are now incorporating more extensive healthcare offerings into their stores. While pharmacies and basic healthcare services have been available at these chains for some time, there has been a recent shift towards offering more comprehensive medical services.
Not only does this provide an important service to the community but it also helps increase foot traffic at these stores. By offering both essential health services and everyday shopping needs in one convenient location, grocery-anchored healthcare clinics can benefit both shoppers looking for convenience as well as health providers trying to reach more patients.
The white paper also revealed that H1 2024 saw an increase in visits at chain locations with on-site healthcare offerings compared to chain-wide averages. For example, eight Dillons (a regional Kroger chain) locations with clinics experienced 93% more visits per store than the overall average of the entire banner.
Additionally, research showed that visitors from trade areas tend to be wealthier when visiting grocery stores with on-site clinics such as King Soopers,H-E-B,and Jay C which all had higher median household incomes comparedto their respective overall averages within their respective chains.
Overall,the incorporation of wellness offerings into traditional grocerystores is proving successful in attracting customers,fostering stronger community ties,and cateringto those seeking convenienceand quality care underone roof.This winning combination is transforminggrocery storesinto multifaceted hubsforboth essentialhealthservicesand everydayshoppingneeds.The result? Increased foot traffic,stronger financial performance,and enhancedcommunity engagement.This trendis setto continueasmoregrocerychainsrecognizeits potentialbenefitsin today’scompetitive retail landscape.
