Commercial viability of an online pharmacy

Abstract

The e-commerce market in Portugal was extremely driven by the conjuncture of the Covid 19 Pandemic, leading several sectors of traditional commerce to face the need to reach their customers through online communication channels. In this context, Portuguese pharmacies were no exception, having recognized the importance of electronic commerce for the marketing of their products. Now, this observation led us to think of a commercial viability study with a view to creating an exclusively online pharmacy to operate in Portugal. For this purpose, a market study was carried out, based on secondary sources and a questionnaire survey, with 110 responses having been validated, aiming to understand the impact of online commerce on the lives of the Portuguese, the most sought-after products, and the most valued attributes in customer service. The results of this study allowed us to understand that it would be commercially viable to create an online pharmacy, if it offered a range of products, in the categories of medicines not subject to medical prescription, dermo cosmetics, sunscreen, hygiene products and mom-baby products, as well as competitive pricing and pharmaceutical advice. Based on the results obtained, an online marketing strategy was developed.