Albertsons Makes it Easier to Buy Food As Medicine

Albertsons is now leveraging its sizable footprint to create a healthier future for consumers. The leading food and drug retailer-slash-house-of-brands operates stores across 34 states, and Washington D.C., under its collection of well-known banners including hero brand Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.  Coming out of the past few years, personal health and wellness is perennially top of mind for shoppers and Albertsons Companies is positioning itself to meet those needs with a ‘foods as medicine' program  by making both fresh produce and medication increasingly more accessible.

In order to provide expanded access to health resources and wellness options, Albertsons and its stable of retail banners are now accepting supplemental health benefits from shoppers looking to purchase over-the-counter medications and fresh produce. The initiative allows convenient access to beneficial products for shoppers using prepaid cards funded by Medicare Advantage plans, employer incentives, healthcare providers, and including local governments. In order to run the program, Albertsons is partnering with technology payment platforms like the fintech Solutran’s S3 platform, which offers powerful modern solutions for supplemental benefit programs and provides delivery through a single experience. 

The innovative platform makes it easy and convenient for eligible supplemental benefit cardholders to use their integrated health plan funds to shop at Albertsons Companies stores, empowering them to make healthier choices. The retailer also accepts Fresh Bucks, which is a local government supplemental program launched in Seattle that helps shoppers afford fresh produce like fruits and vegetables. 

Leaning into food-as-medicine initiatives through offerings that delights and retains shoppers like medically tailored nutrition, incentive programs, and even food prescriptions is becoming a popular way for grocers to tap into health-driven business growth. The Albertsons program is part of the company’s efforts to support local communities and to encourage health and wellness by placing more emphasis on nutrition, overall health, self-care, preventive care and emotional well-being going forward.

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This article originally appeared in the PSFK iQ report, Reframing The Store As A Health & Wellness Experience.