With Covid-19 the Online Pharmacy Market in China is Booming

Chinese are buying online health products

The Internet has taken a prominent place in the daily life of hundreds of millions of Chinese people who buy abundantly online and from their mobiles. The Chinese are converting more and more to the Internet to manage their health. Only OTC (non-prescription drugs) are sold on the web, which represents 96% of the online pharmacy market. The remaining 4% are the few “real” drugs.

List of Chinese Online Pharmacy platforms:

• J1.com
• 71K.cn
• Baishop.cn
• Xinyao.com.cn
• Alihealth
• etc

It is highly likely that the Chinese government, through the China Food Drug Administration (CFDA), will allow e-commerce players to sell prescription medicines online, as it is currently prohibited to sell prescription medicines on the Internet. Online commerce in the pharmacy market is clearly an opportunity for major e-commerce players who occupy more than two-thirds of this market.

 

Major players in Chinese e-commerce for pharmacy product

TMall B2C platform

TMall Yao (TMall medicine)

Today houses 186 authorized pharmacies offering:

• Over-the-counter medications
• Contact lenses
• Medical devices
• Other health care products in general
• Market share: 48%.
• 2015 turnover: 4.7 billion yuan or 623 million euros.

ALIBABA Group (B2B Platform)

Becomes a partner with a major pharmaceutical and healthcare retailer and wholesaler: Drugstore China Jo-Jo, based in Hangzhou. Alibaba Group Opens Subsidiary named Alibaba Health Information Technology. Offers a platform for booking appointments and medical information for doctors and clinics.

Get to know the online pharmacy market 

Mobile healthcare application, electronic payment, which should allow patients to photograph the prescription and put it online on the servers of the Hangzhou e-trader. The prescription would be sent to the pharmacies around the patient in order to know their stock for the drugs listed, and compare their prices. The pharmacy will then only have to deliver the patient home In other words, all these big names of Chinese e-commerce are eagerly awaiting the decision of the Chinese health agency regarding the opening of the sale of prescription drugs on the e-market.

The figure of the pharmacy market in China: USD 1.72 billion. The Chinese market for the collection and analysis of data volumes could represent a potential market of $1.7 billion in 2019, according to MicroMarket Monitor. This represents an increase of 30% per year.

Develop you own marketing strategy tailored for the Chinese pharmacy market

Are you interested to expand your market in China? Want to know more about cosmetics and beauty trends in China? Want to establish your business in China? Want to find distributors, investors or partners for your brand in China? Contact GMA! GMA stands for Gentlemen Marketing Agency. Some information about us:

• We are a top-level company about marketing in China
• We are the most visible webmarketing agency in China
• We have more than 7 years of experience in China
• Our team is composed of multicultural trends’ experts
• We have more than 300 successful case studies in China

Discover our websites, services and case studies and contact us! Wether your are an interest in Chinese pharmacy trends and want to know more, we can also arrange a meeting with one of our expert to analyse your project and develop a 360° tailor-made digital marketing strategy fitting your budget and desire. Learn how to attract, seduce and fidelize your Chinese target audience thanks to many services:

• Chinese social media
• Chinese e-commerce platforms
• Chinese KOLs & influencers
• Distribution & logistics
• E-reputation, awareness & visibility
• …

Read more about cosmetics in China:

• The 5 Trends of The Chinese Cosmetic Market
• 10 Trends of Chinese Consumers in Cosmetics
• 10 Makeup Trends in China