Strategies for Enhancing the Competitiveness of Retail Chain Pharmacies in China in the Era of Pharmaceutical E-Commerce

Abstract

With the rapid growth of the “Internet + Healthcare” model, pharmaceutical e-commerce has swiftly gained a substantial market share in China’s pharmaceutical retail sector, thanks to its competitive prices, convenient purchasing channels, and online consultation services. This has put considerable pressure on traditional retail chain pharmacies. This paper provides an overview of the current state of pharmaceutical e-commerce, and analyzes the main challenges faced by retail chain pharmacies, including intense price competition, changes in consumer habits, insufficient digitalization and severe homogenized competition. Drawing on industry practices and case studies, the paper proposes strategies to enhance competitiveness, such as promoting digital transformation and online-offline (O2O) integration, strengthening pharmacist services and health management capabilities, optimizing supply chain management, building differentiated brand advantages, and proactively responding to policy and regulatory requirements. The study argues that, while leveraging their advantages in specialization, community-based operations, service orientation and retail chain pharmacies, should actively embrace digitalization and industrial collaboration in order to achieve sustainable development in the context of e-commerce. This research provides theoretical references for the strategic transformation of retail chain pharmacies and offers practical significance for the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical retail industry.