Dive Brief:

• Meijer announced Wednesday that it’s offering $10 off on a purchase of $50 or more to shoppers who have received their COVID-19 vaccination from any provider.
• The retailer is also offering a $10 coupon, good towards any purchase, for those who get vaccinated at a Meijer store, and a $100 bonus for workers who get vaccinated.
• Meijer is encouraging shoppers to get their COVID-19 shots as health officials press Americans to get vaccinated. “[Meijer pharmacies’] efforts have paid off, but we’re not done yet. We’re hopeful this incentive helps tip the balance,” Rick Keys, Meijer’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

Numerous retailers have offered incentives for workers to get vaccinated, and some, like Albertsons and Target, are offering coupons to shoppers who get inoculated at their stores or through local health departments. But not many companies are, like Meijer, offering incentives to vaccinated shoppers regardless of provider.

There are some exceptions, like Krispy Kreme, which is offering a free daily doughnut to any customer who shows their completed vaccination card.

Meijer’s announcement comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 60% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. President Joe Biden has set a goal for 70% of the U.S. adult population to get inoculated by July 4, but reports note that millions of people remain on the fence about getting vaccinated or say they won’t do it.

For retailers, financial incentives could help convince some shoppers to get their vaccine, and potentially boost business, too. Meijer said it will give consumers who get their vaccine at a store $10 upon receiving their final dose. Those who got vaccinated through a different provider will have to show their completed vaccination card at a store pharmacy to get their coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase.

Meijer began administering COVID-19 vaccines in mid-January, and since then has held thousands of in-store clinics and off-site vaccinations across its six-state footprint. In April, the company began offering walk-up vaccinations using the Pfizer vaccine, and now guarantees every store will have a minimum of 100 vaccines per week to administer on a first-come, first-served basis.

So far, Meijer has administered 1.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.

In addition to focusing on vaccinations, Meijer is expanding its store count. Last week, the company announced the opening of three new 155,000-square-foot supercenters — two in Ohio and one in Indiana. All told, Meijer operates more than 250 supercenters across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin, along with three small-format grocery stores in Michigan.