As the dollar store Daiso has begun selling health functional foods, reactions from consumers and pharmacists are mixed.
Daiso announced on the 26th that it started selling nutritional supplements and other health functional foods in 200 stores nationwide from the 24th.
The pharmaceutical companies supplying products to Daiso are Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Chong Kun Dang, and IL-YANG PHARM. They provided products such as multivitamins and minerals, Vitamin B, milk thistle, lutein, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, omega-3, Lactofit Gold, and Vitamin C to Daiso.
The biggest difference between the health functional foods sold at pharmacies and those sold at Daiso is the price.
A month's supply of existing health functional foods sold at pharmacies averages 20,000 to 30,000 won. In contrast, at Daiso, similar health functional foods can be purchased for 3,000 to 5,000 won under a uniform pricing policy.
Pharmacy health functional foods are sold in units of three to six months, but at Daiso, they are sold in one-month packages.
Consumers are responding positively to Daiso's health functional foods. Reactions include, "30 capsules for 5,000 won is really cheap," "It seems that even the good health functional foods had inflated prices before," and "It's impressive that health functional foods are now available following cosmetics."
However, pharmacist reactions are lukewarm. Posts in the pharmacist community include comments like, "The pharmaceutical companies have played a trick on pharmacies," "Those who want to take a 5,000 won medicine can go to Daiso, and those who want to take products recommended by pharmacists can come to the pharmacy," and "The company supplying 3,000 won low-cost products at Daiso is problematic and will be boycotted."
Some pharmacists have publicly stated their intention to boycott the pharmaceutical companies that supplied Daiso.