- Priyash Paray, CEO, Chemist Warehouse, UAE, tells HEALTH how with unbeatable prices with real savings, they are the game-changers in pharmacy retail business.
The Chemist Warehouse is entering the UAE market at a time when the common man feels a pinch on the high cost of medication which, despite health insurance, is difficult to afford because of the total pharmacy spend limit and co-pay. Can you explain how this will work to the benefit of the consumer?
UAE consumers increasingly prioritize affordability and transparency in healthcare, especially as high medication costs – compounded by health insurance limits and co-pays – impact everyday budgets. Our ‘lowest price promise’ ensures access to real brands at real savings without compromising quality. By striking the right balance between affordability and quality, we guarantee that the consumer always wins in today’s competitive pharmaceutical market. Furthermore, leveraging our extensive international experience alongside deep local market knowledge, we are uniquely positioned to respond to evolving consumer needs.
What is the real time benefit in price to the customer?
We offer our customers “Unbeatable Prices”, through our lowest price guarantee policy. We match prices and beat them by offering 10% off the price difference back to the customer. This applies to 15,000 SKUs (non- price-regulated ones) daily, reinforcing our commitment to affordability.
With a rigorous price-matching process, customers get the best deal available, all year round. Chemist Warehouse stands out by maintaining consistent, everyday low prices, ensuring sustained savings and greater value for customers.
Your warehouse is huge and stocks almost everything from skincare, cosmetics, vitabiotics, wellness medication to pediatric medicines and regular OTC medications … Can you take us through the wide array on offer at your retail store?
Our ‘Live, Look, Feel Well’ tagline reflects our commitment to a comprehensive shopping experience – offering a one-stop shop for health, wellness, beauty, and everyday essentials. We stock over 15,000 SKUs, covering trusted brands across over-the-counter medication, vitamins and supplements, beauty, fragrance, sports nutrition, oral hygiene, baby care, and household essentials – all at everyday low prices, and tailored to meet diverse lifestyle needs.
Additionally, we introduce exclusive launches, such as the recently launched Lionel Messi Eau De Parfum, along with sought-after products from Australia and New Zealand, ensuring unmatched value for our customers.
How has The Chemist Warehouse planned its price strategy and how are you able to beat all others with genuine discounts?
Our pricing strategy is rooted in decades of experience and a deep understanding of customer expectations. Since launch, we have been optimizing our pricing to align with our core promise of affordability. Over the past months, we have continuously refined our approach based on consumer feedback, market dynamics, and supplier negotiations, ensuring that our customers always receive the best value.
We negotiate closely with ethical, authorized distributors, enforcing rigorous quality checks while securing cost efficiencies through longstanding supplier relationships. This allows us to maintain competitive prices without compromising safety or product efficacy.
The response from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive, with steady sales growth reaffirming our commitment to making healthcare and wellness products more accessible to all.
What else can the consumer expect soon?
We have recently expanded prescription coverage and are working towards including all major insurance providers across the country. In the coming months, consumers can look forward to new retail store openings – with plans to launch 3-5 additional stores in 2025 alone.
Alongside our physical expansion, we are working towards our e-commerce launch and delivery services through WhatsApp in the next months, providing seamless access to thousands of health and wellness products to offer greater convenience.
Our second store in Bur Juman was recently launched, marking just the beginning of our long-term expansion strategy. We continue to evaluate consumer feedback to refine our offerings, ensuring every shopping experience –is unique, convenient, and rewarding.
How do you plan to widen the network by liaising with clinics and hospitals?
We will expand our pharmacy business network, focusing on partnering with clinics and hospitals by highlighting our unique services, establishing clear communication channels, offering tailored solutions, and creating collaborative programs. Utilizing technology to streamline information exchange, maintaining regular follow-ups, and tracking performance metrics to continuously improve and strengthen your partnerships. This strategic approach can enhance patient care and support the growth of our pharmacy business.
You are really big in Australia, share the experience from there and how your pricing policy has worked out for the average Australian consumer? Will you be emulating the same here?
With over 650 stores across Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, China, and the UAE, we leverage our scale to secure favorable supplier terms and pass on significant savings to consumers. While an insurance-driven market alongside established local players can present regulatory and consumer-trust-building hurdles, aligning global best practices with local standards will ensure our proven pricing model delivers similar value. Our success in our global markets has provided valuable insights that we are now adapting for the UAE, ensuring our model is both scalable and sustainable.
Will your pricing policy force other brands to slash their prices in competition? How do you plan to stay ahead of the curve?
We are here to positively disrupt the market and ultimately add value to our customers.
Our customer-centric philosophy helps us focus on meeting consumer demand for affordability, convenience, and exclusive product offerings. By emphasizing competitive & transparent pricing with a broad product range, we continually deliver value and stay ahead of the curve for our customers. We support our strategy with continuous market research, real-time consumer trends and competitor pricing tracking to ensure our approach remains dynamic and effective.
Once this takes off, do you plan to expand to GCC, Middle East and Africa?
We do plan to expand gradually, starting in the UAE and extending to the broader GCC markets, with regional growth on our long-term roadmap. Dubai was the right place to start and strengthen our brand while we learnt about the Middle East market dynamics.
Are your drugs generic or branded?
We offer real brands at real savings. Our brands are authentic, well known and with highly competitive prices. Our one-stop-shop model ensures customers accessibility to a wide range of trusted health, wellness, and beauty brands at genuine savings.
Anything else you might want to add?
Our entry into the UAE has been promising, with rapidly growing exposure and footfall. The country’s strategic location, supportive initiatives like Dubai Healthcare Strategy 2030, and streamlined regulatory processes create an ideal environment for innovative healthcare retail. With ongoing investments in healthcare infrastructure and a diverse consumer base, the UAE is set to become a premier destination for healthcare and wellness – an environment that aligns perfectly with our value-focused model. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue building on our success by further investing in community outreach and innovative offerings, setting new benchmarks for excellence in the healthcare sector.
