Walmart’s Hurd discusses role retail can play in health on Kantar podcast

Kantar Retail projects that by 2025, stores will be the site of more general practice medicine than a doctor’s office, and that CPG companies and retailers who position themselves for this will come out ahead. In an effort to understand how retailers are responding to the shift in setting for health-and-wellness, Kantar Retail vice president of retail insights Brian Owens spoke with Alex Hurd, Walmart’s senior director of health and wellness on the latest episode of the Kantar Retail Sound Bites podcast.

The conversation, which also included Kantar chief knowledge officer Bryan Gildenberg, focused on how Walmart is addressing lack of healthcare access in underserved areas, suggestions the retailer makes to help manage health-related expenses, how Walmart is adapting to a changing health landscape and how its pharmacies meet the needs of an aging patient population. Hurd also looks forwards, highlighting the services and future investments Walmart will need to make healthcare delivery frictionless.

Ultimately, Hurd noted that patients are having difficulty managing recent increases in out-of-pocket healthcare expenses while acknowledging that despite the United States spending nearly a fifth of its gross domestic product on healthcare, outcomes haven’t been improving. In this light, Hurd said that Walmart would be focused on putting patients first — which he said requires some imagination on the part of the industry if it wants to truly focus on patient needs, particularly with regard to where care takes place.

“There’s a lot of talk in the industry about wanting to put the patient first and patient-centric healthcare. And when you listen closely, it’s always within the existing framework of the healthcare system,” Hurd said. “We leave those conversations feeling that they’re just a little bit disingenuous, because if you really want to put the patient first, why would you do it within a venue that a patient might frequent once or twice a year?

Hurd noted that the frequency with which patients visit a grocery store positions retail as well for health-and-wellness offerings.

“If we really want to focus on the patient, then I think what we need is a fundamental paradigm shift and let’s actually go as an industry to places where people are congregating with great frequency,” he said. “Honestly, retail is one of those few places where people are spending a large chunk of their time.”

To listen to the full podcast, click here.