Pharmacy group Dis-Chem has reported that online sales grew by 218.7% for the 22-week period from 1 September 2020 to 2 February 2021 compared to the previous corresponding period in 2019.
“Our online sales continue to be positively impacted as consumers prefer staying safe and shopping from the comfort of their homes,” the listed pharmaceutical chain said on Wednesday.
The company also said the change in consumer shopping behaviour due to COVID-19 continued to impact our sales mix and in turn, our margins. Despite the strong top-line growth, margins are still lagging pre-COVID-19 levels.
Revenue grew by 12.1% to R11.6 billion for the 22-week period from 1 September 2020 to 2 February 2021, the company said in a trading update.
“We are in a fortunate position in that we can continue to provide our customers with quality service, competitive prices and an extensive range of products during these very challenging times,” said Dis-Chem CEO Ivan Saltzman.
“The Group continued to show its resilience as the country experienced the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The company continue to support South Africa’s battle against COVID-19 with testing stations located nationwide throughout its network of clinics, drive-through testing stations and at two key airport locations.
“We have engaged, and are well prepared, to assist the State with the vaccine rollout considering our differentiated clinic infrastructure.”
