“Food and drug” stores, which turn supermarket food sections into drugstores, are expanding in regional areas, increasing the prevalence of a store format rarely seen in city centers. Major chains are moving to attract local shoppers with their new formats.
Cosmos Pharmaceutical, Kusuri no Aoki, Create SD, Natural and Genky are among the names reported to be breaking into the 2025 market rankings. These companies are characterized by a store format that turns supermarket food sections into drugstores. This is described as the essence of the new “food and drug” trend.
Chains that have grown through the food-and-drug format are said to have adopted a strategy of attracting shoppers, particularly in regional areas and suburban roadside locations with relatively low foot traffic, by selling frequently purchased food at discounted prices, then encouraging customers who come in to make additional purchases of health and beauty products.
In regional areas, even stores whose sales floors look more like supermarkets are valued for offering a full range of daily necessities and serving as “large convenience stores.” However, some observers warn that as purchases of health and beauty products increase, these stores could gradually take sales from existing drugstores.