"NO Hospital·Pharmacy"... Online Medicine Purchases Double, Convenience Stores Also Increase

People Avoiding Hospitals and Pharmacies
Online Gmarket Thermometer Sales Surge 700%
Eye Health Products, Disinfectants, and Patches Popular
Demand for Pharmaceuticals Soars at Three Convenience Store Chains

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] "I'm feeling sick from overwork, but I'm too scared to go to the hospital." "I can't easily go to the pharmacy because I worry about overlapping routes with confirmed cases." "I have rhinitis and asthma, so I want to manage it at home if possible."

Amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, more people refusing to visit hospitals and pharmacies have turned to online shopping and convenience stores as alternatives. The sales of thermometers for COVID-19 self-diagnosis surged by more than 700% compared to the previous year, reflecting the anxiety during this emergency phase. Especially in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, where confirmed COVID-19 cases have sharply increased, there has been a noticeable rise in people seeking over-the-counter medicines at nearby convenience stores for safety reasons.

According to online shopping mall Gmarket on the 15th, the total sales volume of health and medical products sold from February 13 to March 12 increased by 110% compared to the same period last year, more than doubling in growth. In particular, sales of thermometers for COVID-19 self-diagnosis surged by 704%. Eye health products increased by 270%, disinfectants and ointments by 188%, gauze, bandages, and medical cotton by 180%, nasal cleansing products such as rhinitis and conjunctivitis care items by 123%, blood glucose meters by 55%, and blood pressure monitors by 9%, in that order.

Similar trends were observed on Auction. From February 13 to March 12, total sales of health and medical products increased by 39%. Blood glucose meters rose by 77%, moxibustion and moxibustion tools by 19%, and other general medical supplies by 385%.

Convenience stores, where simple over-the-counter medicines can be easily obtained, also saw increased demand for pharmaceuticals. At GS25, sales of pain relief patches in February increased by 35.7% compared to the previous year, followed by painkillers at 29.2% and cold medicine at 26.0%. At CU, sales of over-the-counter medicines from February 18 to March 12 increased by 10.6% year-on-year. Especially in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, sales jumped by 296.3%. Seven Eleven saw a 9.1% increase in over-the-counter medicine sales from February 12 to March 11, with fever reducers and painkillers up by 15.8% and cold medicines by 8.7%.

Since the introduction of the "Convenience Store Over-the-Counter Medicine Sales System" in 2012, which permits the sale of basic over-the-counter medicines at convenience stores, these stores have served as alternatives to pharmacies. Representative items include fever reducers, digestive aids, cold medicines, and pain relief patches. Through approximately 50,000 convenience stores, emergency demand can be met 24 hours a day. GS25 handles 15 product items, CU 14, and Seven Eleven 13. However, caution is necessary due to concerns about excessive medication intake.

Regarding this, a Gmarket official explained, "Due to the impact of COVID-19, people are refraining from going out and feel burdened by visiting hospitals crowded with patients, so there seems to be a movement to manage mild symptoms at home directly." They added, "These signs are expected to continue for the time being until COVID-19 fully enters a stable phase." Lee Jong-guk, product planner (MD) in charge of over-the-counter medicines at GS Retail's daily necessities team, said, "Due to COVID-19, more customers with mild symptoms are entering convenience stores to relieve symptoms with over-the-counter medicines," and predicted that purchases will continue to increase.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.