Pharmacy retailing biz pops the shakeout pill

C Chitti Pantulu

December 25, 2008

The economy may not be in good health but one sector that seems to be in the pink is pharmacy retailing.

The $5 billion-a-year industry is expected  to log a healthy 11% annual growth rate over the next two years compared with the 9% plus grwoth presaged in the retail industry in general.

Within the undercurrents, what is visible is the big boys of the sector are flexing muscle and putting place expansion plans, while the small fry seem set to cash out or just fade away.

For instance, Apollo Pharmacy and MedPlus Health Services Ltd., two of the biggest players, are looking to be 1000-store chains by the end of the current fiscal, while smaller playes such as the Bangalore-based LifeKen and CRS Health have already sold out to Religare.

(Read full Story)