Retail pharmacies worldwide are adjusting their business strategies to match shifting consumer expectations.

According to consulting firm McKinsey, the pharmacy of the future must provide “a differentiated experience for the consumer” or a “differentiated set of products and services.”

Clicks said it prioritised meeting consumers’ changing demands.

Recently, over two decades after the first Clicks pharmacy opened in Sea Point, Cape Town, the health, beauty, and wellness business launched its 700th pharmacy at Design Quarter in Fourways, Johannesburg, as part of its ongoing effort to improve access to affordable healthcare.

According to Vikash Singh, the managing executive, the pharmacy saves clients around R150 million per year through its promotions and generic pharmaceutical substitute offerings.

“Clicks has the highest penetration of the schedule one and two medication market in the country,” said Singh.

McKinsey maintained that pharmacies must invest in providing pharmaceutical care when and where customers need it the most. They must also provide more individualised experiences in order to differentiate their services.

Clicks claimed that it has developed a variety of innovations in recent years, including smart lockers for medication collecting, on-demand drug delivery, a pharmacy chat service, and a virtual doctor in clinics.

The organisation developed the Clicks Supplement Recommender earlier this year as part of its mission to help build a healthy, proactive country.

This online application, created by a team of nutritionists and dieticians, examines health, lifestyle, and behavioural aspects related to nutrition and health outcomes in order to offer customised supplement recommendations to support optimal health and well-being.

Clicks has also collaborated with the Department of Health to provide conveniently accessible pick-up stations for State-supplied medication, processing over two million shipments on the department's behalf each year.

The company is now the largest private-sector employer of chemists. In addition to up-skilling and increasing pharmacists’ professional standing, the Clicks Pharmacy Academy provides a learnership curriculum for 450 high school graduates each year.