Skip navigation

THE WELLNESS IMPERATIVE

From supporting sustainability to finding affordable medications, supermarkets' nonfood customers are focused on the well-being of themselves, their families and the places they live. For example, a November survey of 1,000 consumers age 18 and older conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association, Alexandria, Va., found that 62% of Americans would support allowing retail pharmacists to

From supporting sustainability to finding affordable medications, supermarkets' nonfood customers are focused on the well-being of themselves, their families and the places they live.

For example, a November survey of 1,000 consumers age 18 and older conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association, Alexandria, Va., found that 62% of Americans would support allowing retail pharmacists to dispense specific drugs that currently require a doctor's prescription.

These numbers hold especially true for parents, a key supermarket demographic. Seventy-seven percent of parents polled with children under the age of 18 support the idea.

Related Articles

INITIATIVE 1: Develop a Comprehensive Wellness Strategy

INITIATIVE 2: Devise a Business Plan for Medication Therapy Management

INITIATIVE 3: Increase Merchandising, Marketing of Energy-Saving Products

INITIATIVE 4: Develop a Strategy for Behind-the-Counter Drugs

INITIATIVE 5: Merchandise and Promote Natural HBC Sections

Supermarkets are satisfying these needs by providing personal and environmental wellness products and services in nearly every nonfood category, including pharmacy, HBC and GM.

However, retailers can do a better job of organizing and managing wellness products and services and making them known to customers through merchandising, signage and employee education, sources said.

With that in mind, SN has compiled five of the most promising ways nonfood categories can take advantage of the wellness movement:

  • Develop a nonfood wellness strategy.

  • Devise a business plan for medication therapy management (MTM) services.

  • Increase marketing of environmentally friendly products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, and rechargeable batteries.

  • Prepare an approach for behind-the-counter drug sales.

  • Merchandise and promote natural HBC sections.