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Aster Pharmacy forays into Bangladesh in partnership with GD Assist

Aster DM Healthcare has announced its entry into the Bangladesh market with the Aster Pharmacy division. Aster Pharmacy, the leading pharmacy chain in the UAE, will be operated by GD Assist Limited in Bangladesh. Through this franchise agreement, Aster DM Healthcare and GD Assist Limited aim to provide reliable pharmaceutical products in Bangladesh along with varied products in the segments of nutrition, baby care, skincare and home healthcare to serve the healthcare needs of the local population in Bangladesh.

Speaking on the venture, Alisha Moopen, deputy managing director at Aster DM Healthcare, said: “Since its inception over two decades ago, Aster Pharmacy has been a one-stop solution for medicines and wellness products. We have invested in our care offering and revamped the infrastructure and talent to ensure the best service experience for our customers and continued this endeavour during the pandemic to ensure patient safety and well-being. And now, we are looking to venture into a new market to serve more people and expand our footprint.”

Syed Moinuddin Ahmed, managing director at GD Assist, added: “GD Assist was established with the aspiration to become a prominent one-stop healthcare solution provider. As such, it is our great delight to partake in this new venture with Aster Pharmacy. This partnership is enabling us to step into the new era by introducing world-class healthcare products of different segments, which would subsequently provide us with the opportunity to cater to the healthcare needs of the people of Bangladesh, on par with international standards.”

Farzanah Chowdhury, director at GD Assist, said: “As we venture into this partnership with Aster Pharmacy as their operational partner for Bangladesh, we at GD Assist are hopeful about succeeding in setting new standards in the Bangladeshi healthcare products industry by making Aster’s world-class product line in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, baby care, skin care, home healthcare, etc. available in the Bangladeshi market and thus we aspire to revolutionise the industry in the coming year.”

Aster Pharmacy started this journey with just one pharmacy in 1989 with a vision to create customer-centric and easily accessible friendly pharmacies in every neighbourhood that delivers Aster’s brand promise — ‘We’ll treat you well’. Aster Pharmacy works persistently to bring itself closer to its customers to fulfil its mission of having an Aster pharmacy in every neighbourhood and a knowledgeable Aster pharmacist available 24/7 for every household.

Aster DM Healthcare currently operates 446 pharmacies in India, GCC and Jordan, including 201 pharmacies in India operated by Alfaone Retail Pharmacies Private Limited under a brand license agreement. Today, Aster Pharmacy has become a household name and has emerged as the brand of choice amongst pharmacies due to its ease of access and customer-first approach. Aster recorded eight million pharmacy visits in its last financial year. Through this long-term agreement with GD Assist, Aster Pharmacy aims to expand its horizons beyond UAE, India, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan into other territories to provide customer-centric experience and genuine pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products. GD Assist Limited plans to open and operate a minimum of 25 stores located in high streets, communities and shopping malls in Bangladesh over three years.