Shoprite Group’s Sixty60 service is changing more than grocery retail. Its speed, convenience and reliability are resetting what shoppers expect online. Now Sixty60 pharmacy delivery could reshape South Africa’s chemist market too. Shoprite has described Sixty60 as a single consumer platform. The goal is one-hour delivery across all its corporate brands. That ambition carries major implications for the pharmacy sector.…
Tag: pharmacy
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South African Retail Pharmacy: Clicks Versus Dis-Chem
The battle for consumer loyalty in the South African retail pharmacy sector has reached a fierce new level. Market leaders Clicks and Dis-Chem are competing intensely for market share. Tough economic conditions are squeezing middle-income households. This has forced both brands to step up their promotional activities. Traditional retailers are also expanding into the health and beauty space, adding to…
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Dis-Chem Health Hub Drives Integrated Primary Care
Dis-Chem is stepping up its shift from pharmacy-led retail to wider healthcare delivery. The group says it wants to tackle South Africa’s “fragmented” healthcare system. Consumers often face rising costs. They also face long waiting times. Services can feel disconnected. The retailer’s answer is a new Dis-Chem Health Hub model. It brings multiple services into one setting. The pilot format…
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Oral Phenylephrine Phase-Out Puts OTC Brands Under Review
South Africa’s medicines regulator is under mounting pressure from pharmaceutical manufacturers. This comes after it signalled it may phase out oral phenylephrine in over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicines. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says the concern is simple: the ingredient may not work as a nasal decongestant when taken by mouth. Phenylephrine still appears in long-standing…
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Dis-Chem’s Strategy Towards Healthcare Integration
Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais has declared that the pharmacy group’s ongoing transformation is no longer just about Dis-Chem’s strategy or market share, but about its people. While rivals in the consolidating South African pharmacy market bet on scale and diversification, Morais, who took the helm in 2023, believes the company’s most considerable success lies in fundamentally reshaping its internal culture.…
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Clicks Digital Push to Enhance Online Delivery Services
Healthcare and beauty retailer Clicks is embarking on a significant overhaul of its e-commerce platform. Its digital push aims to capitalise on growing home delivery demand and significantly improve customer convenience. The move comes as the retailer acknowledged that its online performance has been “sluggish”. This sluggishness is due to limited delivery options and lead times, despite online sales growing…
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Clicks Eyes Pharmacy Expansion and Earnings Growth
Clicks has reported a robust 13.7% increase in full-year headline earnings. These earnings grew to R3.2 billion for the year ended August from R2.8 billion a year ago. The strong performance was underpinned by a significant expansion of its retail and pharmacy footprint. As Clicks eyes further pharmacy expansion, it is pushing its total store base to more than 990…
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Dis-Chem Transforming Retail with Health Insurance
Is the South African health insurance landscape on the verge of a significant shake-up? All eyes are on pharmaceutical retail giant Dis-Chem as it rapidly evolves from a chain of pharmacies into an integrated healthcare provider. It is setting its sights on a market long dominated by financial services powerhouses such as Discovery. The move raises a pivotal question: is…
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Counterfeit Medicine Crisis in South Africa’s Public Health System
South Africa is grappling with a quiet, yet deadly crisis: the alarming proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines, known as the counterfeit medicine crisis. While the nation faces ongoing health-care challenges like rising drug prices, medicine shortages, and a strained public health system, the influx of fake drugs presents a far more insidious threat. These aren’t just ineffective placebos; they…
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Dis-Chem Faces Challenges in a Competitive Market
Retail pharmacy giant Dis-Chem is set to unveil a significantly revised rewards programme in the second half of the current financial year. The move comes as the retailer aims to regain lost market share in key categories. This follows intense promotional activity from competitors and a rapid expansion of rival store footprints. Challenging Retail Landscape and Market Share Battles Dis-Chem…