Walmart will become the first U.S. retailer to sell Abbott’s continuous glucose monitoring device as the medtech giant looks to broaden its sales potential for its growing business unit.
Abbott has been selling its FreeStyle Libre family of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for several years—a predominantly prescription-based system that has been aimed at people with diabetes, providing them with a continual on-body sensor to monitor their blood sugar levels.
Last summer, however, Abbott looked to go a step further with its new Lingo device and accompanying iPhone app. This is built around the same technology as FreeStyle Libre but is marketed as an over-the-counter device that isn’t confined to people with diabetes.
Instead, it’s meant to help anyone interested in learning more about their metabolism and building healthier habits do so by tracking their blood sugar levels in real time and receiving customized coaching based on that data.
While it has been available online at sites such as Amazon and a specific Lingo website, Abbott confirmed to Fierce that it is, the first time, moving its Lingo sensor into store shelves at Walmart, the biggest retailer in the U.S. with more than 3,500 stores nationwide.
A two-week pack will cost just under $50 at Walmart and will include access to the Lingo app. The sensor is attached just under the skin on the upper arm, measures sugar levels every few minutes, and sends that data to the app.
“We’re excited to be the first retailer to offer Lingo in-store and online,” Brad Bedwell, Vice President Merchandising, OTC Health and Wellness at Walmart, said in a statement to Fierce. “Our customers are looking for innovative ways to improve their health, and Lingo delivers exactly that. This launch reflects our commitment to expanding access to wellness technology that help people take control of their everyday health.”
“Making Lingo available at Walmart is a meaningful step toward expanding access to real-time health insights,” added Olivier Ropars, divisional vice president of Abbott’s Lingo business. “We’re empowering people to better understand how their bodies respond to everyday choices like food, movement, and sleep—all without a prescription, and from their local Walmart.”
Abbott has been talking up its desire to broaden its CGM business with the help of Lingo. Just last week, its third-quarter financials revealed its diabetes care biz, which houses its CGMs, grew sales a whopping 20.5% on a reported basis to $2 billion.
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This is helping offset a slide in its diagnostics division, which saw a 6.6% drop in sales, predominantly from an increasingly low uptake of COVID tests. Abbott competes with Dexcom and Medtronic for the CGM market.
Last year, Dexcom also launched its over-the-counter entrant, the Stelo, to consumers. Also pitched as a health and wellness device, a two-pack of that CGM is priced at $99, for a total wear time of up to 30 days.
Dexcom is also offering a recurring subscription that delivers two Stelo sensors for $89 per month. It is available to buy online at Amazon and a siloed Stelo site.
The Abbott move to offer Lingo at Walmart was first reported by Axios.
