More than just beauty products: Watsons is pushing its pharmacy products with health fairs
WATSONS is known primarily as a stop for beauty products, but many forget that it started out in Hong Kong as a pharmacy back in the 1800s.
The wellness chain (which has over 1,000 stores in the Philippines) is holding The Great Health Fest 2025 from May 12 to 17 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall. Over 40 health and beauty brands (mostly offering supplements and the like) are there now, including home brand Watsons Generics, Unilab, RiteMed, Habit, NutriXpert, Galderma, Hisamitsu, and Omron. Some of these brands are offering their items at 80% off, while Watsons itself has a medical consultation and vaccination booth. This is the brand’s second health fest, moving it from last year’s venue of SM Megamall due to renovations in certain areas of that mall.
“I think one of the misconceptions is that we’re largely a beauty store,” said Sharon Decapia, senior assistant vice-president for marketing, public relations, and sustainability for Watsons Philippines, in a group interview in a restaurant beside the health fest on May 13. “We’re also building our health offerings: from prescription to over-the-counter vitamins; even mobility aids. It’s a full range of health products.”
Watsons, as mentioned, has over 1,100 stores spread across the nation, and the 8,000th Watsons store in Asia was opened here. The company is increasing its reach in the Philippines not only through space with more stores outside malls, but also through time, with the addition of more 24/7 stores; or at least stores with extended hours up to midnight. Ms. Decapia counts that there should be more than 10 of these in the metro, with more stores in the provinces forthcoming.
“’Pag gamot, wala kang pinipiling oras (when you need medicine, you don’t get to choose a time for it),” she said.
More than that, more of their stores are now offering medical consultations and vaccinations, with 200 stores now participating in their vaccination program. Different branches have different vaccines: the SM Mall of Asia branch on the ground floor, for example, has the 2025 Flu, Pneumonia 13, Pneumonia 23, HPV 4, HPV 9, and Hepatitis B vaccines.
Even if they are expanding hours and branch numbers, it can’t be helped that their competitors in the pharmacy game have an edge based on heritage and a reputation for a complete menu of medications. Joweeh Liao, health business unit, finance, property, and store development director for Watsons Philippines, said, “Our top imperative, especially for our dispensary products or the RX (prescription) products, is really to expand our range. We do benchmark and study what are the drugs or the medications that will make a pharmacy complete. We are investing to make our range complete.”
Being part of an international network helps as well (Hong Kong-based Watsons is here through a joint venture with the SM Group): “We keep our eyes open,” said Ms. Liao. “In terms of supplements, that’s the trendy side of things. We have our eyes [open with] the help of our international partners.”
After the Mall of Asia health fest ends on May 17, the health fest will travel to SM Fairview (May 21-27), SM Pampanga (May 29 to June 4), and SM Seaside Cebu (June 30 to July 6). — Joseph L. Garcia
