COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to research from the Global Market Development Center, the shift in diabetic patient care from hospitals to at-home has created one of the latest and largest demands for retail collaboration and innovation.
More than 29 million American have diagnosed Type 1 or 2 diabetes. With the Centers for Disease Control predicting 40 percent of Americans born between 2000 and 2011 will develop diabetes, the disease’s prevalence is demanding the attention of both physicians on the diagnostic end and retailers on what GMDC terms the “consumer-patient” end.
GMDC notes the downward stream in health care toward the consumer is forcing change for retailers to rethink merchandising and assortment strategies. The retailers who are ahead of the curve are showing immediate signs of winning in the selfcare mindset of the shopper.
“Once the diabetic patient has been diagnosed at the clinical level, the next step is for them to head to drug and grocery stores to get the supplies they need to take care of themselves – or engage in ‘selfcare’ as we call it,” said Patrick Spear, president and CEO of GMDC. “They’ve now become the consumer-patient and have to rely on retailers to help them find products, understand how to use them and even learn what their insurance will cover. We looked at what Johnson & Johnson and Wakefern were doing to create real solutions for consumer-patients.”
The collaboration between Johnson & Johnson and Wakefern Food Corporation’s ShopRite supermarkets addresses the diabetes crisis by developing a “store inside a store” concept, with new product positioning and immersive displays that provide convenience and fulfills the occasion.
“We started the journey with J&J with the question, ‘how do we create an environment that says to the patient faced with this disease, we care about you?’” says Chris Skyers, vice president of Health and Beauty Care for Wakefern. “When you think about what the diabetes patient has to contend with, creating an inviting setting is important and it’s one of the greatest challenges.”
People with diabetes account for $176 billion annually in direct medical costs, and on average spend between $1,000 and $2,500 a year on supplies alone – Including test strips, syringes and sterile dressings. As a result, they spend nearly five times more than the average customer in drug and grocery.
“This isn’t just about driving product sales, but about creating engagement with the patient/customer,” said Chris Jobes, director of Health and Wellness for Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. “This is all about changing behavior, and the best way to change behavior is with a human touch, developing a relationship.”
These insights come as the association releases its newest Health & Wellness Best Practices report, “Retail Partnering to Serve the Shopper with Diabetes.” In addition to analyzing the benefits of connecting providers, insurance companies, retailers and consumer-patients in sales strategies, the research explores the role of integrating various store employees in helping diabetic patients, in which the store dietician and pharmacists become retail wellness champions for consumer-patients.
For more information about this report, visit https://www.gmdc.org/health-wellness-best-practices-retail-partnering-to-serve-the-shopper-with-diabetes.practices.
About GMDC
Global Market Development Center (GMDC) energizes members and the marketplace by advancing a culture of Connect-Collaborate-Create-Commerce. As the leading GM and HBW trade association, GMDC is dedicated to serving its ecosystem of more than 600 General Merchandise and Health Beauty Wellness retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and service/solution member companies by enabling consumer-facing innovation and retail reimagined. GMDC's combined member volume represents more than 125,000 retail outlets and more than $500 billion in sales. To learn more, visit www.gmdc.org.