Daven Tamayo

Robinsons drugstore unit eyes stronger Q4 growth with Unilab partnership

Article (news)

Benise Balaoing

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The drugstore arm of Robinsons Retail Holdings aims to see stronger growth in the fourth quarter as it partners with pharmaceutical giant Unilab for more discounts for its customers.Joanne Dawn Arceo, Robinsons Retail Drugstore segment group general manager, said the drugstore business grew between 7 to 8 percent in the first half of the year. Robinsons Retail, in its income statement, said the drugstore arm was one of its &quot;notable business drivers&quot; in the 2nd quarter.Under their partnership, Unilab will offer exclusive discounts for customers who buy from South Star Drug and Rose Pharmacy online.South Star Drug and Rose Pharmacy are both part of the Robinsons group.&quot;So online sales or e-commerce is actually a future-proofing our business with making healthcare more accessible anytime, anywhere,&quot; Arceo said. &quot;So it allows South Star Drug and Rose Pharmacy to reach more Filipinos, serve them with greater convenience, and build stronger loyalty also. So this positions us for sustainable growth in the years ahead,&quot; she said.The executive said she also hopes the partnership with Unilab will help complement their expected sales uptick in the fourth quarter.It&#x27;s because (fourth quarter) is usually cold, so usually when it&#x27;s cold, you have high incidences of flu, of colds,&quot; she explained. &quot;So that&#x27;s one and second, since they have more purchasing power, then they tend to buy more maintenance medicines. So they fulfill their prescription in full.&quot;&quot;And they invest also in themselves. So (that&#x27;s) for the vitamins and supplements,&quot; she said.Arceo said they hope to open about 50 stores of South Star Drug and another 50 stores of Rose Pharmacy for 2025.

The drugstore arm of Robinsons Retail Holdings wants to see stronger growth in the fourth quarter.

The drugstore arm of Robinsons Retail Holdings wants to see stronger growth in the fourth quarter.