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Mask orders|Pharmacy Review: Selling at a sky-high price of $250 is the reason why a box of profit is $20: non-human blood steamed buns

2023-01-30T23:16:57.018Z


The new crown epidemic has been raging for three years, and the initial rush to buy masks is unforgettable. The chain pharmacy Wecare Weijia used to sell anti-epidemic products on the rise, and currently sells about 3,000 boxes of masks per month. Founder Wei Rongjun revealed that the price was sky-high at the beginning of the epidemic


The new crown epidemic has been raging for three years, and the initial rush to buy masks is unforgettable.

The chain pharmacy Wecare Weijia used to sell anti-epidemic products on the rise, and currently sells about 3,000 boxes of masks per month.

Founder Wei Rongjun revealed that at the beginning of the epidemic, the price of a box of masks was 250 yuan, and the pharmacy only made a profit of 20 yuan.

"We were all very worried that we would eat people's blood steamed buns at that time, or make money for the country, etc. We were all mentally prepared for the opportunity to be troubled by others."


Wei Rongjun predicts that after the revocation of the mask order, the demand may drop by 60%. However, if there is a crisis, there will be opportunities. He sees that Hong Kong people are concerned about the sequelae of the new crown and will focus on health care products.


Further reading:

Mask order|90% of local factories closed down after the cancellation of Savewo material, or layoffs and production cuts to fight the epidemic for two years|Hong Kong-made masks vowed to be the world's first and persevere in research and development: if you don't make enough money, you can cut Heqing

Wecare, a chain pharmacy, sells about 3,000 boxes of masks per month.

(Photo by Zhang Haowei)

The chain pharmacy Wecare Weijia was established in 2018, and it is still standing despite the epidemic. So far, it has five stores.

Founder Wei Rongjun started as a "pharmacy boy" after graduating from middle school, and experienced the most prosperous era of independent travel.

He understands that focusing on mainland tourists is not a long-term solution, and building a brand image is the way forward. After opening the store, it mainly sells daily necessities to neighbors, thus avoiding the closure of pharmacies in the past few years.

At present, masks account for about 20% to 30% of the sales of pharmacies

Looking back at the early days of the outbreak, Wei admitted that he did encounter operational difficulties. Stores selling daily necessities from Japan and South Korea sprung up like mushrooms, and large well-known brands also launched price promotions.

As of today, the epidemic is about to come to an end, and the day when the mask order will be revoked is not far away.

Currently, Weijia sells about 2,000 to 3,000 boxes of masks per month, of which about 600 boxes are its own brand, accounting for 20 to 30% of the business.

However, Wei is not worried about the future. He believes that Hong Kong people are still willing to wear masks when they go to hospitals or in densely populated places. The role of necessities will not change, but the demand may decrease by about 60%.

"I emphasized the same thing at the beginning. After experiencing this epidemic, Hong Kong people's awareness of hygiene and protection has improved a lot. We believe that this market will not disappear all of a sudden, but the proportion of business may drop. It's all normal."

The public is concerned about the aftermath of the new crown and transforms into selling health care products

In order to avoid losses caused by the return to normal, Wei revealed that he has already made preparations for transformation and reduced the proportion of epidemic prevention supplies.

He pointed out that Hong Kong people are concerned about the sequelae of the new crown under the epidemic, and the demand for health care products has greatly increased. For example, the popular onion green tea has increased by 15% in the past two years. Therefore, in recent years, he has entered the health care product market and trained shop assistants to understand the products. , Strengthen after-sales service, hoping to change the customer's impression.

Wei deduces that the turnover in the first half of this year will be similar to that of last year, and estimates that the retail market will gradually recover in the second half of the year.

Although China and Hong Kong have resumed customs clearance, he has no expectations for mainland tourists. Instead, he observes that Hong Kong people buy health care products and go north to visit relatives. He believes that related products will increase in the short term.

At the beginning, the profit of a box is only $20: no one may believe it

The three-year epidemic prevention road has passed in the blink of an eye. At that time, the society was going through a panic about masks and toilet paper, and the sky-high prices of masks in pharmacies were condemned by the society.

Wei explained that the profit of the pharmacy is not high. A box of masks sold for 250 yuan only makes a profit of 20 yuan.

"Actually, no one would believe it. At that time, there was a lot of panic in the middle of snatching masks, and people kept raising prices. Our retailer's profit was already very low."

Why do you still insist on selling masks despite the criticism?

He explained that it was just because he couldn’t bear it. As a pharmacy based in a civilian area, he saw that the regular customers in the neighborhood were anxious about the masks, and they were tired. Therefore, he would rather be scolded, and still try his best to meet the needs of the public, and regularly distribute free epidemic prevention materials to give back to the neighborhood. At the end of last year, it even cooperated with a charity organization to distribute rice to the elderly.

"A box of masks can cost more than two hundred mosquitoes. Before talking about four or fifty boxes, it is actually not easy to accept. We were all worried that people would eat human blood steamed buns at that time, or tie hair We are all mentally prepared to have the opportunity to be troubled by others.”

+1

Withdrawal of the quarantine order|The number of outpatient clinics cannot cope with the demand. Private doctors at the grassroots level may spend half a day’s salary to withdraw the quarantine order|Diagnosed patients do not need to report to wage earners. A doctor’s certificate is required for sick leave. The list of clinics is attached. The number depends on the illness and the type of work to withdraw the isolation order|He Bailiang is worried that the public is at a loss and advocates continuing to use the old method to enjoy sick leave for the first five days after diagnosis

Source: hk1

All news articles on 2023-01-30

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