HEALTH

A lot of retailers offer screenings for everything from diabetes to allergies, but what sets Sam’s Club apart is the scale on which it delivers them. The club retailer offers screenings for everything from heart health and women’s health to diabetes. In a recent interview with Drug Store News, director of business development for health and wellness Angie Muldoon said that the company had conducted more than 1 million screenings in 2011.


It’s called automated retailing. While retail merchants MaxWellness and Kroger are still in the pilot phase, more or less, this should become a fast brand extension that can reach consumers in remote locations — the bus stop/train depot, the hospital, the airport, the school, the gym or inside another noncompetitive retailer’s box.


The advantages are just too good for these mini-boxes not to take hold. To begin with, there’s brand extension. Only the Internet can be as effective in attributing a national presence to a regional operator. 


STOCKHOLM — A group of industrial chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and plastics may disrupt insulin production, particularly among seniors, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.

Get set for another decade of explosive growth throughout the over-the-counter category with the familiar switch as a catalyst. 


The Food and Drug Administration public meeting that took place last month addressed a proposal to expand the switch paradigm by utilizing the latest in communications and diagnostics technology and/or incorporating the most accessible healthcare professional — the retail pharmacist — into the self-care decision protocol. 


One of the highlights for Rite Aid’s business has been Wellness+, its loyalty card program that has played a major role in driving growth in the company’s comps, as well as attracting new and more loyal customers.


“You vs. Flu … you win with a flu shot!” Of course, patients aren’t the only winners now that pharmacies are actively touting their flu shot and other vaccination services. It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s driving the number of flu shots delivered each season. 


Fitness sells. And with the number of seniors looking to maintain their health and wellness by staying active, fitness sells well. 


Customer loyalty has always been paramount for retailers, but as we wade into 2012 and beyond, it is becoming increasingly evident that retailers have a renewed focus on establishing a strong sense of loyalty and creating an engaging customer experience through cross-channel initiatives that are touching customers both in and — perhaps more importantly — out of the store.