Tesco has rolled out menopause-friendly product bays in 93 UK stores, offering QR-linked health education in partnership with GenM. The move reflects growing demand for accessible, tech-enabled support in women’s health. It may shift how mainstream retailers engage with femtech going forward.
FemTech AI Wearable Education Biotech
Tesco has introduced menopause-friendly product bays in 93 of its UK stores. The rollout could mark a broader shift in how major retailers support women through significant life transitions. The initiative, developed in partnership with GenM, a menopause awareness organisation, brings QR-linked education and product guidance into physical retail environments on an unprecedented scale.
Each bay reportedly includes MTick-certified products aimed at managing symptoms such as hot flushes, joint pain and sleep disruption. Featured brands are said to include Always, Charles Worthington, Mitchum, Sanex and TENA. Customers are prompted to scan QR codes that link directly to GenM’s digital support hub, which is said to offer educational content on up to 48 recognised menopause symptoms.
Tom Lye, Tesco’s category director for health and wellness, told Retail Times that the company is “delighted to be continuing our work with GenM to support our customers and colleagues going through the menopause.” He added that the permanent bays are expected to “provide reassurance and education as well as helping signpost customers to products that may be safer when going through the menopause or that might ease associated symptoms.”
Heather Jackson, co-founder and CEO of GenM, also spoke to Retail Times and described the rollout as “a real milestone.” She said it marked progress “not only for GenM, but also for the 15.5 million women in menopause who right now, are not being understood or served as they deserve.”
Tesco confirmed the launch in an official press release and highlighted the role of the bays in helping customers gain a better understanding of menopause and manage its symptoms.
The global femtech market is projected to reach approximately 60.89 billion dollars by 2025 and could grow to around 130.80 billion dollars by 2034, figures from Precedence Research suggest. This growth is projected to include innovations in wearable health devices, mobile symptom-tracking apps and hybrid care models that reportedly combine digital tools with clinical support. Tesco’s approach could be seen as bridging physical and digital customer journeys within a mainstream retail setting.
It prompts a broader question: could other major retailers recognise menopause as a core health concern, rather than continue to treat it as something niche and how far might technology reshape that conversation?
Tesco’s collaboration with GenM is believed to be the first of its kind at a national scale in the UK. GenM’s Invisibility Report found that 87 percent of menopausal women feel overlooked by brands and retailers. The inclusion of QR-linked education and symptom-targeted products aims to address this gap.
Around the world, approaches to menopause support vary. In Sweden, Lund University has reportedly piloted a menopause-friendly workplace initiative, which includes structured support such as exercise sessions and educational lectures during working hours. In Japan, menopause, known as konenki, is widely regarded not as a medical condition but as a natural life phase. In Zimbabwe, community-led educational initiatives are said to be reaching thousands of women through localised messaging.
As digital tools become more embedded in health retail and femtech continues to expand, Tesco’s model could represent a broader shift. Everyday technology and consumer environments may increasingly work together to meet health needs in ways that are discreet, accessible and data-informed.
Source(s)
Retail Times – Tesco and GenM collaboration
GenM – MTick programme and certified products
Tesco plc – Official press release
Precedence Research – Femtech market valuation
GenM – Invisibility Report PDF
Lund University – Menopause-friendly workplace initiative
Women’s Health Network – Cultural perceptions of menopause in Japan
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Louise Burke,2025-04-19(Update:2025-04-21)
