Walgreens positions itself as 'healthcare oasis' by combating food deserts

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — While Walgreens is not alone in its pledge to serve up food oasis stores across urban deserts peppered by supersize-me fast food joints and convenience stores, the Chicago-based chain certainly has made the greatest commitment. In addition, Walgreens is serving up some pretty extensive access to health care along with their focus on “fresh.”

(THE NEWS: Walgreens signs on to develop more food oasis stores. For the full story, click here)

Fielding “fresh” at the local pharmacy may be the drug channel pursuit-du-jour, but there is more here than simply selling more food in more drug stores. It’s about tackling obesity. It’s about addressing diabetes. It’s about educating people on ways to eat heart healthier. It is, in essence, about a healthier community.

“Make no mistake about it — this is a really big deal,” First Lady Michelle Obama said during the press conference commending the multitude of retailers who have so far made a commitment to build and grow healthy food offerings across the poorer inner-city neighborhoods. “The commitments we’re announcing [today] have the potential to be a game-changer for kids and communities all across this country,” she said.

Walgreens certainly recognizes that game-changing potential with its 1,000-food oasis pledge. Beyond familiarity with optimizing the front-end sales floor of a smaller footprint, Walgreens has an additional edge over its corporate retail counterparts — Take Care Health practitioners and pharmacists who aren’t hidden behind sand dunes of value deals or supermarket aisles. Walgreens represents greater access to healthcare beyond fresh fruits and just-picked vegetables. That’s why drug stores, not just Walgreens, can win with “fresh.” Because if they do it right and leverage the pharmacy, the pharmacy becomes more than that place where you “pick up your pills.” It becomes a total wellness destination; or in other words, a “healthcare oasis.”