On World Pharmacists Day, AS Watson, the parent company of Watsons Philippines, celebrates the contribution of more than 3,300 pharmacists and nearly 10,000 health professionals who help customers proactively manage their health and wellbeing every day through its network of over 1,770 pharmacies worldwide.
Driven by growing customer interest in preventive healthcare and self-care, AS Watson recorded 10% growth in global health sales over the past year, reflecting increasing demand for products and services that support overall wellbeing and healthier lifestyles.
Peter Macnab, International Commercial Director of AS Watson, said, “As healthcare continues to evolve from treatment to prevention, AS Watson is supporting customers with trusted professional advice, personalised and innovative O+O (Offline plus Online) healthcare solutions. We proudly recognise our pharmacists and healthcare professionals whose expertise and dedication make a meaningful difference to the health of customers and communities every day.”
AS Watson Unveils Global Health Research
To better understand evolving customer health behaviours, AS Watson unveiled findings from its Global Health Research, conducted by WISE, its customer experience insights division, among over 11,000 respondents across 10 markets in Europe and Asia.
The survey found that health concerns (43%) are the main driver of health product adoption, with professional advice (41%) from healthcare experts remaining a key influence alongside recommendations from family and friends (32%).
Customers are increasingly adopting an offline and online approach to product research, combining online research (82%), health professional consultations (49%) and in-store product discovery (44%). When making purchase decisions, they consider a combination of price and promotion (56%), brand trust (48%), and product benefits (45%).
The findings highlight the increasingly important role pharmacists play in preventive healthcare, helping customers make informed health decisions through trusted professional advice and guidance.
Watsons Philippines is strengthening the role of its pharmacists through continuing education and specialised training. Programs such as the Diabetes Educator Training Program with Diabetes Philippines and the Respiratory Care Educator Program with the Philippine College of Chest Physicians and the Philippine Pharmacists Association equip pharmacists to provide guidance that helps customers better understand their health, make informed decisions, and take more proactive steps toward managing their wellbeing.
Peter concluded, “The future of healthcare is increasingly preventive, personalised and accessible. By bringing together trusted expertise, personalised care and O+O innovation, AS Watson is building a healthcare ecosystem that helps people take charge of their health with confidence. Our ambition is to make preventive healthcare more accessible and relevant to every customer, helping create healthier lives and communities worldwide.”
About AS Watson Group
Established in 1841, AS Watson Group is one of the world’s longest-standing and most recognised retail companies with roots in Asia. Today, the company operates over 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets, employing 130,000 people globally. This makes AS Watson Group the largest international health and beauty retailer in the world.
In the fiscal year 2025, AS Watson Group reported revenue of over US$26 billion. The company’s technology-enabled O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms serve over 6 billion shoppers annually, seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences.
AS Watson Group supported over 180 charitable and non-profit organisations every year, dedicating over 40,000 hours of volunteer work to serve over 370,000 people in need in our operating markets.
AS Watson Group is also a member of the world-renowned multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has four core businesses – ports and related services, retail, infrastructure and telecommunications in over 50 countries.
Please visit www.aswatson.com/our-company/o-and-o-strategy/ for more information.
About WISE
WISE stands for Watson Insights on Shoppers Experience. It is the research division of AS Watson, the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer. By constantly having conversations with a panel that comprises of over 180 million members across 31 markets, WISE focuses on developing customer insights in beauty care, personal care, health and wellbeing to help better understand and meet the needs of today’s customers.
About Watsons Philippines:
Watsons Philippines is part of AS Watson Group, the world’s longest-standing and most recognised retail companies with roots in Asia. Today, the company operates over 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets, employing 130,000 people globally.
In the fiscal year 2025, AS Watson Group recorded revenue of over US$26 billion. The company’s technology-enabled O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms serve over 6 billion shoppers annually, seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences.
Watsons is the leading O+O (Offline plus Online) health and beauty retailer in Asia, currently operating 8,000 stores and more than 1,500 pharmacies in 16 Asian, European and Middle-East markets.
Watsons is named as the No.1 Personal Care and Beauty retailer in Asia*, providing personalised advice and counselling in health, beauty and personal care on top of its market-leading product range, making customers LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day. Watsons is the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson Group.
In 2002, AS Watson Group joined hands with SM, the Philippines’ leading shopping mall developer. The partners brought about the first Watsons stores in SM Megamall and The Podium (Ortigas) and have since seen rapid growth. Today, Watsons operates more than 1,200 stores in the Philippines (as of January 2026).
Watsons strives to ensure that its customers get the best value for their money through monthly promotions, special offers, and continuous consumer marketing programs. Each Watsons store houses nothing but the best brands from top manufacturers all over the world, and also carries its own competitively priced, high-quality private labels and brands. With more than 1000 brands ranging from medicines, cosmetics, and fragrances to personal care items and general merchandise, Watsons Your Personal Store delivers only the best health, wellness, and beauty solutions to each and every customer.
Launched in 2019, Watsons’ Asia One Pass rewards our customers with local-member privileges and enables them earn points when they shop with Watsons in ten markets in Asia including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Türkiye and Philippines.
*Campaign Asia-Pacific’s Top 50 Brands survey with 10,000 respondents across 6 Asian countries
