Pharmacy 4 Less Launches into China

Discount chemist Pharmacy 4 Less has become the latest Australian pharmacy brand to launch into China, looking to capitalise on the growing demand from China for healthcare products.

by Azoya

Australian discount chemist chain Pharmacy 4 Less has launched into China via a fully managed e-commerce platform. The company’s expansion into China is aimed at tapping the booming healthcare market and growing demand for quality Australian pharmaceuticals and vitamins.

The launch follows in the footsteps of other Australian chemist chains like Chemist Warehouseand Sigma Pharmaceuticals, which have already expanded into the Chinese market.

Pharmacy 4 Less has more than 40 stores throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland, as well as an online business. The company provides a broad range of healthcare products including prescriptions, vitamins, first aid, weight loss, baby care, beauty products and more.

Pharmacy 4 Less is expanding its footprint to capitalise on China’s booming cross-border online shopping market. China’s healthcare sector has developed at an astonishing rate, with demand particularly high across categories like vitamins and baby care products. This growth has been fuelled by a number of factors, including the growing affluence of the Chinese middle class and the end of China’s one-child policy.

“This is a really exciting time as we start to expand our business beyond Australia’s borders into China, to fulfil growing demand from consumers for quality healthcare products,” said Rania Awad, general manager e-commerce for Pharmacy 4 Less. “We’re already popular among the local Chinese community in Australia, so we’re hoping that word of mouth will be strong with their friends and family in China and that our business will equally resonate with consumers there.”

The company’s Chinese webstore allows for direct brand exposure with Chinese consumers, enabling them to choose from the majority of Pharmacy 4 Less’ product range and place orders, which are shipped from Australia.

Azoya — a provider of e-commerce solutions and services focused on the Chinese market — is providing a range of on-the-ground operational services to connect Pharmacy 4 Less directly with Chinese consumers, such as marketing, customer service, cross-border logistics, RMB payment settlement and other services.

“It’s hardly surprising that reputable Australian pharmacy retailers, such as Pharmacy 4 Less, are taking advantage of this significant growth potential,” said Don Zhao, co-founder and executive director at Azoya. “Deterred by safety and quality issues with domestic healthcare products, Chinese consumers are increasingly looking to Australia to buy directly through cross-border e-commerce.”