In-Store Clinics: When Selling Health Also Sells Everything Else

In Mexico, healthcare no longer begins at the hospital. It starts between cereal aisles, right next to the checkout lanes. Today, one in five supermarket stores—such as Walmart or Soriana—offers basic medical services¹. And this isn’t just a commercial trend. It signals a shift: retail is no longer just a place to buy things but a true center of life—absorbing functions that once belonged solely to the State, the family, or the neighborhood.

But the model didn’t start in malls or big-box stores. It took its cue from the Doctor Simi clinics built next to pharmacies since 1998. Less than a decade later, supermarkets were already replicating that format—initially conceived as a workaround for people unable to afford a private clinic or access public care.

Since then, the idea has only expanded—especially in a context where fast access to healthcare turns any counter into a potential consultation room. The numbers reflect that shift.

Today, one in six medical issues is addressed in pharmacy-adjacent clinics, which, along with other private medical services, account for three out of every hundred pesos (nearly five dollars) in household income. Faced with that demand, supermarkets—which account for roughly 15% of the gross leasable area in shopping centers across the country—have become ideal platforms, where the clinic leads to the counter, the counter to the pharmacy, and the pharmacy… to the shopping cart.

What matters isn’t that supermarkets offer healthcare. It’s what that reveals. On the one hand, retail spaces are increasingly concentrating vital functions—from medical care and food to leisure and government services—to gain customers and territory. On the other hand, consumers no longer simply shop; they delegate. They want to solve their lives in one place. And thus, the business is no longer about average ticket size, but rather dependence. Because the more you do inside, the fewer reasons you have to leave.

For developers, this changes everything. In the future, major chains like Walmart, Cinépolis, and Liverpool will remain anchors—but they won’t be alone. Competing in increasingly self-sufficient ecosystems will require services that concentrate essential functions. In spatial terms, this means anticipating hybrid facilities, segmented access points, extended hours, sanitary infrastructure, and non-linear flows.

For now, Doctor Simi pharmacies have begun piloting veterinary services. And perhaps that’s the clearest signal of where things are headed: if you can care for yourself—and your dog—without leaving the store, what part of life is still outside the retail world?

To keep exploring how commercial spaces are evolving across Mexico and Latin America, visit SiiLA REsource or contact us at contacto@siila.com.mx.

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¹Estimate based on a comparison of operational units reported by Mexico’s leading supermarket chains (Walmart, Soriana, Chedraui) and the number of medical clinics disclosed in their 2024 annual financial reports. Information accessed in June 2025.