Caring Pharmacy to enhance e-commerce platform

KUALA LUMPUR: Caring Pharmacy Group Bhd plans to enhance its e-commerce platform because of the increase in demand for the healthcare products online.

Managing director Chong Yeow Siang said the company started to explore and venture into e-commerce platform two years ago where it gained insight and exposure as it was working with third parties such as Rakuten and Lazada.

"Since the sales via this platform were quite significant and encouraging, by this year and moving forward, we will continue to invest into expanding the capacity of e-commerce business," he told reporters after the group's AGM in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

However, he did not disclose the investment amount.

Chong said the group would have multiple channels to ensure shopping convenience for the customers.

"We have more strategies to enhance our e-commerce which could help us sell and promote our business model besides increasing our revenue despite the current challenging business environment," he said.

He said the group aimed to set up another 10 outlets by end-2016 financial year.

As at May 31, 2015, the group had 104 outlets, he said.

"At this moment, we think we might achieve the target with the capital expenditure of RM500,000 for each outlet," he said.

On whether medicine prices would increase if the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPPA) was implemented, he said, it would depend on the drugmakers.

"It's too early to comment on this issue because we are only retailers. If the multinational companies (MNCs) were to raise the prices, then we have no choice but to increase them, too.

"The price mechanism is controlled by the MNCs and not us. The prices are also dependable on the drug market," he said. - Bernama