Chips and ice cream at apoteket

The Swedish Apotek, originally solely pharmacies, are becoming drug stores similar to our Walgreen's or CVS. 

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  Americans are used to seeing candy and potato chips at their drug stores, but in Sweden it’s something new. Vårdapoteket, a small pharmacy branch with only 25 stores around the country, sells more than pain relievers.

• Chips and ice cream at apoteket
  At the Swedish pharmacy chain Vårdapoteket you can now find—apart from headache medicine and bandages—underwear, ice cream and potato chips. What’s with that?

• “Well,” says sales manager Tobias Ekros, “Pressbyrån (a convenience store chain) sells Alvedon (a pain reliever), it’s the same thing.” Vårdapoteket has 25 stores around Sweden and all of them are located in hospitals. Ekros explains there’s usually not much variety in snacks at hospitals, so that’s why they sell chips and ice cream. “Our customers are very positive, and sales are going well. We are offering these items as a service to our customers, to satisfy a need. But of course, ice cream and chips and underwear is not why you go to the pharmacy in the first place.”
  www.vardapoteket.se