Shots & Snacks: New Placer.ai Study Reveals How Health Clinics Help Grocers
The concept of stores within stores is nothing new. Sephora has a deal with Kohls. Athleisure stores now often feature workout classes. And Tommy Bahama is both a retailer and an island bar and restaurant. Now, a new study by Placer.ai reveals that placing health clinics within a grocers store can significantly impact traffic and (ultimately) sales.
These services may include primary and urgent care, dental services, and mental health care. Imagine picking up the ingredients for dinner while also dealing with stress and tooth pain! That’s all-in-one shopping!
The Placer.ai study focused on Little Clinic, which has locations in Kroger stores and regional chains Dillons, Jay C Food Stores, Fry’s, and King Soopers.
The report highlights these four main findings:
- Adding healthcare services boosts visits to grocery stores. According to the report, “In H1 2024, The Kroger Co. banners with on-site Little Clinics and H-E-B stores with H-E-B Wellness primary care clinics drew significantly more visits per location, on average, than their respective chains.”
- In-store clinics attract more affluent consumers. Kroger, Dillons, Jay C, King Soopers, and H-E-B stores with on-site clinics had higher median household incomes in the first half of 2024 than those without, despite some chains locating in-store clinics in less affluent areas.
- Stores with clinics appeared to attract more families. Repeat visits to stores with health services were also higher than to stores without health services.
- Locals and middle-class families were most attracted to some stores. Convenience is a value for many families today, so being able to shop while taking care of health needs saves time for busy households.
The frequency of visits can be critical in boosting sales. Here is a detailed summary by MULO (multi-location) brand.
So, next time you have a cold and need chicken soup, tea, and ginger ale along with your tests/medications, think about your local grocer instead of your pharmacy!
For more insights into the multi-purpose MULO brands and Placer.ai’s robust trend data, please join us at Street Fight LIVE on November 7th.
