Digital technology has revolutionised the way consumers access healthcare products and services, leading to a shift in consumer behaviour and expectations. The advent of e-commerce platforms and online pharmacies has provided consumers with the convenience of ordering medicines and healthcare products from the comfort of their homes, with doorstep delivery options. This has significantly changed the dynamics of the retail pharmacy sector in India. Embracing digital technologies, such as establishing online platforms, offering home delivery services and integrating telemedicine options, has helped retail pharmacies thrive in the evolving landscape. This study delves into the intricate realm of meeting consumer needs through the judicious application of digital technology, a pursuit underpinned by the deployment of innovative strategies that ultimately culminate in the establishment of a triumphant platform-based business model. Within this context, Medlife Pharmacy emerges as a trailblazer and, at one juncture, as the vanguard among the rapidly ascending online pharmacies in India. It is Medlife’s innovative strategies and the deft utilisation of technology that have catalysed the formation of a successful, expandable and notably one of the largest e-pharmacies in the Indian landscape. This research article, therefore, unfurls the narrative of how digital technologies have wrought a transformation in the retail pharmacy sector, giving birth to a flourishing business model, as witnessed through the case study and success story of Medlife Pharmacy. In the pursuit of these insights, the research undertakes a qualitative approach, adroitly amassing data from a multitude of secondary sources, supplemented by candid face-to-face interactions. The research endeavours to illuminate the ways in which digital technologies can be harnessed to forge a business model that triumphs, offering innovative solutions that are attuned to the dynamic and evolving needs of consumers. To cap this insightful exploration, the results are meticulously presented in the form of a comprehensive SWOT analysis, underlining the inherent strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The article culminates in a cogent discussion that provides a fitting denouement to the entire discourse.
Kumar et al. (Sat,) studied this question.