Holland & Barrett has launched a range of at-home blood tests that promise customers results within 48 hours.
The own-label offer, marketed as Ivie, has been developed in partnership with The London Medical Laboratory and is available in stores and online.
The 11 SKU range includes The General Health Blood Test, priced at £79, which measures liver and kidney functions, iron and cholestoral levels as well as diabetes risk.
The rest of the range has been developed to target specific health conditions and start at £39.
After buying the test, customer must register it via the Ivie Wellness app. After taking a fingerprick sample at home they send it to London Medical Laboratory for processing. A doctor reviews the results, which are then presented as a report to the customer via the Ivie Wellness app. Holland & Barrett said customers should receive results within a day of the sample arriving at the lab.
They can then book a free appointment in store, or via video call, with a Holland & Barrett advisor for advice on lifestyle, supplements or products.
“One of the main differences with Ivie is that results are just the start, it will also help people track their health over time, alongside support and advice either in-store or online,” said Holland & Barrett director of wellness innovation Dr Tarlochan Toor.
Toor said the retailer had taken steps to create a range that only included tests for conditions that could be accurately reported.
“For example, we decided not to include a test for menopause as we know there is no single blood test that reliably predicts this,” he said. “Our customers can also be reassured that they have access to the right expertise once they have their test results, to support them on their wellness journey.”
The full Ivie range comprises:
- The General Health Blood Test
- The Vitamin D Blood Test
- The Vitamin B12 Blood Test
- The Vitamin Profile Blood Test
- The Thyroid Blood Test
- The Advanced Thyroid Blood Test
- The Tiredness Blood Test
- The Iron Blood Test
- The Diabetes Blood Test
- The Cholesterol Blood Test
- The Testosterone Blood Test
Ivie is the latest in a string of service-based healthcare products rolled out by Holland & Barrett.
In February it partnered with the genetics startup DnaNudge to trial a DNA testing service at its Marble Arch flagship store. That followed the rollout of a gut health service, with 4,000 store staff trained to provide advice and support on common gut health issues.
The service is similar to a menopause support service launched in Holland & Barrett stores in October 2022 and enables customers to book one-to-one consultations.
The retailer, which has been owned by Russian-backed investment group LetterOne since 2017, saw UK sales drop 1.8% to £538m in the year to September 2021, according to latest results – largely as a result of store closures. Online sales jumped 15% to £144.3m, pushing pre-tax profits to £43.6m, up from £5.7m.
No comments yet