HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach^[1] - 4 February 2021 - Lunar Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and it is a tradition to send gifts to family and friends as a way to wish everyone a good year ahead. Under the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, many consider health supplements^[2] as an ideal gift to give, with elderly health supplements and kids health supplement being the most popular option. At the same time, the recent economic depreciation has lower the rent for an offline retail spot. These causes drive health supplement retail platforms to employ a diverse commerce model to meet the demand for health supplements in Hong Kong.

Strengthening the Immune System as the New Normal

The COVID pandemic has lasted for more than a year. Apart from maintaining social distancing, taking up habits that improve the immune system has also become a new normal. The spokesperson of Gogo Herbs^[3] claimed that the sales of Vitamin C and probiotic products are increasing steadily. She added that Hong Kong people are concern about both their health and the health of their family members. Yet, very few of us can calculate the accurate amount of nutrition we obtain from every single meal, or even keep up with a regular exercising habit. That is why more and more people try to strengthen their immune systems by taking nutrients from different supplements according to their daily living patterns. She also added that sales of health supplements that can improve the immune system^[4] have increased by 30-40%, with probiotics products being the most popular ones, and the demand is often hard to meet.

Sales of Elderly and Children Health Supplement skyrocketed in Lunar New Year

Alongside with classic gift boxes, health supplements and dietary supplements have become a popular gift to give during the Lunar New Year. Founder of Gogo Herbs said that the sales of elderly and kid health supplements have skyrocketed lately. For example, all-natural vitamin ^[5]gummy tablets that kids cannot say no to, easy-swallow vitamin capsules for the elderly. Although there is a social gathering ban, people still wish to deliver their best wishes to their loved ones during the Lunar New Year, which is also why the sales of their health supplements have raised by 10% lately.

A decrease in Rental Cost promotes multi-platform commercial models

Nowadays, there are more and more channels to shop for a health supplement. People used to visit personal-care chain stores when they are looking for health supplements. However, wise customers discover that the selling price at a chain store is often more expensive than that from other retail platforms. Other retail platforms like online platforms, small shops, and drug stores often bear a lower rental rates or even zero rent price, enables them to sell products at a lower price. A survey has revealed that over 60% of the survey participants agreed they would buy renowned import health supplements from these platforms.

The New Trend of Having a Diverse Commerce Model

An increasing number of health supplement retailers are now employing a business model that includes offline and online retail platforms. E-commerce, which facilitates contactless transactions is in no doubt a trend that will stick in the future. A lower rental cost to own an offline retail spot has also become an opportunity for online platforms. Take Gogo Herbs as an example: the company has expanded from only running their online retailing platform to having a stall in the supermarket. The spokesperson agreed that the offline store is convenient to the general public, but the online platform also has its advantage. Gogo Herbs has a nutritionist team to help customers pick the health supplements that fit them best via the online platform. They also have a price comparison feature on their online retail platform, which indicates the price for the same health supplement in different online retail platforms. 'This function is no doubt a function that makes price comparison easier for consumers.' added the spokesperson.

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} health supplements (gogoherbs.com)
3. ^{^} Gogo Herbs (gogoherbs.com)
4. ^{^} immune system (gogoherbs.com)
5. ^{^} vitamin (gogoherbs.com)