Neighbourhood chemist stocks up on FMCG goods
First it was the pressure from thinning margins. And now it is the lure of big money from FMCG players. With retailing picking up steam in India, the face of traditional formats is changing fast, and pharma retailers, sensing drugs alone can't keep them fiscally fit, are on an image makeover.

First it was the pressure from thinning margins. And now it is the lure of big money from FMCG players. With retailing picking up steam in India, the face of traditional formats is changing fast, and pharma retailers, sensing drugs alone can't keep them fiscally fit, are on an image makeover.
Chemists are now branching out to FMCG products, with confectionery, chocolate dispensers, branded snacks, hair colours, health supplements and cosmetic products vying with each other for shelf space.
Pharma companies acknowledge that the shelf space for prescription drugs is shrinking, along with increased competition in the OTC (over-the-counter) space. Says Alok Saksena, director, Elder Pharmaceuticals, "We have a number of OTC products like balms, cosmetic creams and others which compete for shelf space and consumers attention with a number of non-pharma products at the chemists."
And among drug retailers, the trend is clearly in favour of chain stores. For instance, Global Healthline, which runs the '98.4 degrees' drug stores, is on an expansion mode in the northern region. Then there are others like Apollo Pharmacies and CRS Healthcare.
Observers say it is the thin margins that is forcing pharma retailers to look at other avenues. While the wholesale margin for prescription drugs is 8%, the retailer earns 16%. Even in the OTC segment, the wholesaler gets 6-10% with retail fetching a margin of 14-20%.
Compare that with the 25-30% returns offered by FMCG companies, and the shift in preferences is justified. Besides, most FMCG players offer incentives for point-of-purchase displays, making them more attractive.
FMCG players have identified the chemist shops as Class-A retail units, owing to their influential reference value. The key advantage of a chemist shop is that it provides an opportunity to offer consultancy and advice for a wide range of personal care products. Besides, they say, drug stores provide a presentable set-up for impulse purchases unlike traditional kiranas.
Chemists have better and cleaner storage facilities because of the nature of products they sell. For instance, a lot of drugs require air-conditioning, while some others are to be kept away from direct sunlight. Such facilities come in handy for FMCG products, especially in the case of high-end beauty and cosmetic products that require similar treatment.
"A lot of products are moving into the beauty and wellness category that's growing sharply in recent times. The other point is that fierce competition in the market is forcing FMCG companies to tap every willing sales channel," says Piruz Kambhatta, CMD, Rasna.
The other factor for FMCG companies is the wider reach drug stores offer. There are about 8 lakh retail chemist stores in India, clocking annual sales of Rs 40,000 crore.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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