Our thinking

Advantages for health

2 August, 2024

It’s no secret by now that businesses are sitting on vast gold mines of data on the nations shopping habits, gathered via the loyalty programmes they offer to their customers. Every purchase, every swipe of a loyalty card, generates valuable insights into consumer behaviour. While this kind of data gathering is often perceived negatively, when used responsibly, it can have huge potential for positive use beyond marketing and sales, including opening doors to advancements in healthcare – something high street health and beauty retailer Boots is looking to capitalise on.

Through its Advantage Card programme, used in around half of all transaction at Boots, the retailer sits on a veritable treasure trove of data on the nations spending on healthcare products. By partnering with research institutes and healthcare companies, Boots is planning to use anonymised shopping habits of its customers to aid them in identifying and recruiting suitable participants for clinical trials. The initiative demonstrates the immense value that thoughtful use of data can bring to society and how businesses can ethically leverage data for good. It’s also a great example of a business putting its purpose into practice – in Boots’ case, being at the forefront of care.

Boots is proving that business and benevolence can go hand in hand, treading a path that could see other businesses following suit, using their own data gold mines to contribute to global health. So next time you’re swiping that Advantage Card for a pack of paracetamol, remember: you might just be part of the next big medical breakthrough.

By Lucy Bell