Pharmacy Daily | Pharmacy 4 Less seals JD Worldwide deal

PHARMACY 4 Less has signed an agreement with Chinese e-commerce giant JD Worldwide, with the deal enhancing the Australian pharmacy group's reach into the Chinese market.

Officials from JD Worldwide visited the Pharmacy 4 Less offices in Sydney last week to seal the pact, which follows discussions which had been ongoing for some months after Pharmacy 4 Less Managing Director Feras Karem recognised changes in cross-border e-commerce trends.

"We have been doing business in China since 2015 and we look forward to this exciting new chapter," Karem said, adding "Australian Discount Pharmacy holds such importance for the Chinese customer, and we look forward to the opportunities that are ahead with JD".

Under the new venture, Pharmacy 4 Less will utilise JD's market-leading warehousing and logistics capabilities in China, giving local consumers faster delivery and a better shopping experience than the current cross-border model.

"It's all about the shopping experience. To be able to place an order and receive your parcel only hours after it has been placed in certain cities is a great experience.

"We know there is demand in China for quality Australian products, but our biggest limiting factor to date has been our delivery time," Karem said, with the current business model meaning parcels can take up to three weeks to clear customs and reach consumers. "With JD's bonded-warehouse model, delivery becomes a matter of hours or days," he added.

JD Worldwide Business Development Director, Jaff Tian, said the company's platform had helped businesses from across the globe reach Chinese consumers with its advanced logistics infrastructure. "We look forward to developing this relationship with Pharmacy 4 Less in 2019," he said.

The signing ceremony at the Pharmacy 4 Less office in Sydney (pictured) included representatives from key suppliers including Swisse, Bayer, Pfizer, PharmaCare, Vitaco, Phytologic and McPherson's.

Guests also included members of the JD Worldwide team who flew in from Beijing and Melbourne to take part in the occasion.

Pharmacy 4 Less said it was currently expanding its product range on the JD Worldwide platform, and any suppliers interested in partnering with the company should contact Billal Karem on billal@pharmacy4less.com.au.