65% of Dollar General stores in 'health deserts,' CEO says

Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said the retail giant has more than 10,000 stores in health deserts as he gives glimpses into its healthcare strategy, according to a Sept. 8 CNBC report.

Four details:

  1. About 65 percent, or more than 10,000 of Dollar General's 17,000 stores, are in health deserts, according to Mr. Vasos. This means that customers in these stores have to drive long distances to receive medical care. Mr. Vasos said the retailer is in a prime position to change that, CNBC reported.

  2. "While it's in its infancy stages, we really have an opportunity to grow that healthcare side of the business — not only products in the store, but services," Mr. Vasos said during a Sept. 8 virtual conference hosted by Barclays.

  3. Mr. Vasos said that health deserts may be a larger problem than food deserts, where there is limited access to grocers that sell fresh and nutritious items.

  4. "There's as many if not more health [and] medical deserts in rural America as there are food deserts," he said. "We believe we have the ability to service the consumer in a lot of these instances where she today has to drive 30, 40 minutes to get basic healthcare."

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