Exclusive: Walmart to sell Abbott glucose monitor in U.S. retail first
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Abbott's Lingo continuous glucose monitor is rolling out to Walmart stores. Photo: Courtesy of Abbott
Walmart will become the first U.S. retailer to sell an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor in physical stores, as Abbott's Lingo rolls out to more than 3,500 locations and online, the health care company told Axios exclusively Tuesday.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign that health tech is going mainstream — making tools that previously required a prescription more accessible to consumers.
Driving the news: Abbott said Walmart is the first brick-and-mortar retailer to carry its Lingo device, previously available only at HelloLingo.com and Amazon.
- The two-week sensor pack at Walmart costs $48.97 for one sensor and access to the Lingo app, which currently is available only for iPhone.
Zoom in: Abbott calls Lingo its first consumer biowearable, making continuous glucose tracking — once limited to people with diabetes — available to anyone interested in monitoring their levels without needing to do multiple finger pricks.
- The small sensor, worn on the upper arm, delivers real-time glucose readings to a companion app that helps users see how daily habits affect their levels. For instance, it can tell you if eating a bagel or banana affect you more than having ice cream.
- As an over-the-counter device, Abbott says Lingo is designed to be more affordable and easier to access than prescription versions.
- Competitor Dexcom's OTC device, Stelo, is currently available on its website and Amazon.
What they're saying: Olivier Ropars, divisional vice president of Abbott's Lingo business, said making Lingo available at Walmart "is a meaningful step toward expanding access to real-time health insights."
Zoom out: Abbott joins a wave of companies bringing wearable health tech to mass retail. Devices like Oura and Fitbit help consumers track sleep and activity — but Abbott's move brings metabolic tracking to the store aisle.
- The product could also appeal to GLP-1 users seeking data on how their bodies respond as they lose weight or change eating habits.
- Walmart, meanwhile, continues to blur the line between retail and healthcare, expanding into diagnostics, telehealth and wellness offerings as it competes with CVS, Walgreens and Amazon.
The bottom line: Lingo's launch opens access to a technology that insurance plans often limit to people with Type 1 diabetes who use insulin, keeping many with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes from trying the monitors.
