Retail round-up: Brand’s Suntory D2C strategy, livestreaming pros and cons, and trending categories in pharmacies

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This round-up features the retail strategies that brands across APAC are using, including the direct-to-consumer channel by Brand’s Suntory, the pros and cons of livestreaming, and the trending categories in pharmacies.

Sesame goodness: Brand’s Suntory launches new products for brain, heart health in D2C channel

Brand’s Suntory is expanding its portfolio for brain and heart health with new products launched via the direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel in Singapore.

The company introduced two products from its parent company Suntory into Singapore in December and August last year, namely 1) DHA & EPA + Sesamin EX and 2) Sesamin EX.

The two products, which have been sold in Japan for several years, were introduced to the Singapore market via the D2C channel.

The rise of in-house livestreamers? How nutra brands are reacting to China tax evasion scandal

Some nutrition brands are intending to come out with a team of in-house livestreaming influencers, following a high-profile tax evasion scandal featuring one of China’s leading livestreaming key opinion leader (KOL).

In December, Viya Huang – China’s “queen of livestreaming” was fined RMB$1.34bn (US$210m) for tax evasion.

China’s State Taxation Administration announced that Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, had evaded tax amounted to RMB$643m (US$100m) between 2019 and 2020.

Insider info: Pharmacist reveals Australia’s bestselling supplement categories…and where innovation should head

A veteran pharmacist has revealed the trending categories in Australia’s supplements sector and also proposed how innovation could better follow the path of the latest medical developments.

Immune health, heart health, and products for stress and mental health are the top-three trending categories, according to George Tambassis, who has been running pharmacies for over 35 years.

Tambassis currently owns shares of three different pharmacies, namely Tullamarine Pharmacy and Vermont South Pharmacy – both located at the south of Melbourne metropolitan area – and a Priceline Pharmacy in Cowes.  He is also a non-executive director of the Australian Pharmaceuticals Industries (API). 

Livestreaming, TV, pharmacies: Nutrition brands’ sales channel strategies for 2022

With the proliferation of communication tools, brands these days can look to various tools in promoting and selling their products.

Of particular interest is the booming livestreaming channel in China, the popularity of TV home shopping in East Asia, and opportunities in pharmacy retail in Australia – which we will look into in this article.  

Brands beef up livestreaming efforts

International sellers into China is pulled into the latest consumer buying trend, video and livestreaming formats which is unlike anything seen elsewhere.

‘Exciting formats, high margins’: Australia’s Wellnex Life on retail strategies for nutrition and supplement portfolios

Novel formats and high profit margins are some of the key areas that Wellnex Life will focus on as it expands the presence of its nutrition and supplement products across major retailers in Australia.

The ASX-listed company earlier on announced that its supplement brands ‘Wakey Wakey’ and ‘The Iron Company’ were stocked in Chemist Warehouse – Australia’s largest pharmacy retail chain.

In addition, products from the two brands are available in national supermarket chains such as Coles, Woolworths, as well as Terry White Chemmart, Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), and Symbion.