Aster launches first online pharmacy in GCC

Dubai - AsterOnline.com set to revolutionise retail experience

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Monday launched the first e-commerce store in the health and wellness space in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The launch of the portal - AsterOnline.com - by Aster Pharmacy also coincided with the opening of its 200th outlet.

As part of a mission to bring health care closer to customers, the new portal hopes to provide the population in Dubai the comfort of ordering and receiving health care products sitting in the comfort of their homes.

"It is a remarkable step by Aster Pharmacy as in today's urban life, health, wellness and time needs to be well balanced. Such an initiative by Aster seeks to fill the gap and I wish them the very best for this innovative and compelling proposition," Tendulkar said.

AsterOnline.com is designed to be an extension to the existing 200 Aster pharmacies in the region, rather than substituting them. The online platform offers convenience, choice and health product delivery.

Customers can purchase over-the-counter medications, nutritional products, medical equipment, skin and hair care products, among others, along with various wellness products online. The online platform currently offers a range of 10,000 products.

Chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare Dr Azad Moopen said Aster's online initiative is in line with the Dubai government policy to facilitate consumers.

"We are excited to launch the online health care store in line with the vision of the UAE leadership, who are at the forefront of adopting innovation in all areas. This will help us transform the health care retail industry to fit the needs of our consumers and patients," he said.

Talking to Khaleej Times, he said there are three new hospitals coming up under the Medcare brand in the UAE. "One Aster hospital will be set up in Sharjah, second one will be in Al Qusais in Dubai and one is planned in Abu Dhabi. The brand expects to open one hospital on Shaikh Zayed Road by mid-year."

To a question, he said Tendulkar has been working with the Aster brand on many philanthropic initiatives for one year. "Among numerous initiatives, the road safety campaign took off successfully only due to his dedication and involvement with the brand," he said.

Jobilal Vavachan, chief executive of Aster Pharmacy, said the new e-commerce platform is a big step in the right direction.

"We have seen that many of our patients with chronic medical problems would like to order their medications in advance. Many would like to browse and get the best choice for medical equipment and home care products. AsterOnline.com will ensure that we offer our customers a wide range of products, specially chosen to fit local needs and preferences," Vavachan said.

- muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com