Race for rural care: Why retailers are moving into small communities

Mega-retailers like Dollar General and Walgreens are competing for a spot in healthcare services, investing billions of dollars and mapping out big expansion plans.

Their quest to become dominant players isn’t taking shape only in cities where they have multiple stores—the new battleground is rural America.

About 15% of consumers live in rural areas, where they tend to be more at risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory…