Albertsons’ Digital Initiatives Help Grow its Customer Base

Albertsons operates 2,277 retail food and drug stores, with 1,743 pharmacies, 395 associated fuel centers, 23 dedicated distribution centers, five Plated fulfillment centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. The company’s stores mainly operate under the following banners: Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Sav-On, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos, Haggen and United Express. 

Albertsons, under the ownership of Cerberus Capital Management, is preparing for an IPO, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sources indicate that a decision could arrive within a few weeks.

Albertsons’ goal is to grow its customer base to obtain a larger share wallet by providing offers that are meaningful and personalized to customers. A major part of this strategy is to invest in digital marketing and customer acquisition programs to build the company’s base of engaged shoppers.

Albertsons recently launched DarioHealth’s digital therapeutics solution for managing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. DarioHealth’s “Membership-in-a-Box” package targets consumers with chronic conditions such as diabetes who shop at retail stores, providing a Dario blood glucose meter, test strips and lancets.

Once the consumer connects their meter to their smart device and activates the membership, they gain access to the Dario onboarding process. After starting, the member will receive unlimited test strips and supplies based on their personal consumption recorded via their meter. They will also have access to a personal coach for education, support and motivation, which have been clinically proved to produce better outcomes for healthier living.

Albertsons recently introduced one- to two-hour prescription drug delivery in selected markets in Texas, California, Louisiana and Washington, D.C. Working with medication delivery specialist ScriptDrop, the service is now available at Albertsons and Tom Thumb pharmacies in Dallas-Fort Worth; Randalls pharmacies in Austin and Houston; Safeway pharmacies in San Jose, Calif., and Washington, D.C.; and Albertsons pharmacies in Louisiana.

Also, CarePortMD retail health clinics at Albertsons’ grocery stores can administer an eye exam to identify diabetic retinopathy by FDA-cleared autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic system IDx-DR.

The in-store health clinics are the first to roll out this type of AI diagnostic technology. Albertsons has opened five CarePortMD clinics in Delaware and Pennsylvania stores over the past year.

Takeaway: Albertsons operates more than 1,700 pharmacies.