While you would expect to drive down the street and see a hospital or urgent care facility in your own neighborhood; would you expect to see a medi-clinic in your local Wal-Mart? Mass retailers like Wal-Mart and CVS drug stores have been in the medi-clinic business? Move over Mc Donald’s!
Why not? In this economy, a Wal-Mart medi-clinic cost is a fraction of the cost of an urgent care facility, ever better yet, an ER visit! The big boys are trying to build a model of “if you build it, and they have cash, they will come!”
You have to think:
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Does it promote big businesses’ go into the health care business?
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Do they belong there?
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Will this help facilitate the push for reformed, controlled health care for the US, or will it be promoting something that just should not be happening; Wal-Mart taking care of sick people? My opinion, if the Doctors are like the sales associates; I may be reluctant.
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Where does this thing go from here?
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Where does this put our “choices” of future health care?
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What is next, Mc Donald’s offering a dental check when you pick up your fries?
I would love to hear your insights.
Good, bad or indifferent, the vision has been a little depressed lately by the numbers of actual clinics that have been closed or scheduled to not OPEN at all. Both retailers have had a “slow road to a sustainable platform” with this one.
Food for thought: even the big guys make mistakes in opening up “other” revenue streams. Even more evidence that doing due diligence when looking to capitalize on a certain business model needs through planning, proper expansion, vision and a plentiful, willing to pay customer base.
You can read all about this story at http://www.retail-merchandiser.com/dailydose/todays-retail-roundup/628-slower-road-to-a-sustainable-platform.html
Always Dream Big!
Kim Babjak
