By Andrea Hargraves 
Shopper Report Farmacêutico, a study conducted by Bnex, showed that the first quarter of Brazilian pharmaceutical retail grew by 4.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. At that time, January was the month with the lowest growth among the first three months of the year. However, this is nothing new for the national market, as the month is more affected by budget constraints due to additional expenses.
On the other hand, February contributed significantly to the quarter's growth during this comparative period. The main reason is the increase in carnival sales due to travel and the sale of some products such as:
- sunblock cream;
- Repellents.
- Tanning lotions;
- General skin care items;
- energy resources;
- Condom.
- And the well-known “liquor group”, which consists of fruit salts, isotonic drinks, analgesics and anti-inflammatories.
With the high flow due to travel and the rainy season, another demand that is increasing in the sector is the search for medicines and tests related to Covid, as well as diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti: dengue, Zika virus and chikungunya.
Tamara Bakas, statistician at Bnex
Benefit-related items
March saw a noticeable increase in the number of products purchased, while the average price increase remained relatively stable – the annual adjustment traditionally implemented from April 1st contributed to this.
During this period, shoppers tend to fill their carts with more items, seeking perks that result in lower unit costs. Regarding medicines, the maximum price increases in 2024 are set at 4.5%.
Although this is the smallest increase in the past five years, this has prompted many consumers to look for more economical alternatives, such as generics and similar drugs, rather than branded drugs (or turn to establishments that have managed to keep prices lower). From the structured ceiling).
Buyers profile
As the following graphs show, the majority of pharmacy customers are women aged 30 to 49 years. Moreover, the participation of people over 60 years of age remains at a level above 20%, an important performance compared to the presence of this group in the Brazilian population. Pharmacy, in fact, is one of the categories that offers the most free shipping, at 65.9% of its sales.
What do you expect in the second semester?
In the second quarter, demand in pharmacies is linked to the fall and winter seasons. In addition to the onset of cold temperatures, there are also vaccination campaigns for influenza and other seasonal illnesses.
Hence, there is an increase in demand for medications related to the treatment of these diseases, such as MIP-OTC for the treatment of influenza, colds, fever and pain. According to the study, this tends to worsen in June, when temperatures tend to drop significantly.
Full report It can be seen here.