Expansion drive at Medicare Clinic

CEO Wisanu Prasertsom said recently that skincare-clinic business grew by 10-15 per cent per year on average, despite the global downturn. This represented a good opportunity for Medicare Clinic to expand its branch numbers upcountry.

It costs about Bt4 million to open a branch, he said.

Medicare Clinic has 35 branches in Bangkok and such provincial locations as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Rayong, and an overall customer base of about 50,000.

"Despite fierce competition and many players in this business, we have no policy to reduce service fees simply in order to attract patients to our clinics. But we will focus on offering good medical service to our patients," Wisanu said.

In order to become the market leader within five years, he said the company would organise roadshows and meet-and-greet activities with celebrities around the country in a bid to introduce the clinic directly to consumers.

Medicare Clinic allocated a marketing budget of Bt20 million this year for such activities. It promotes its services through several media, including TV commercials, the Internet and print and radio advertising.

Wisanu said Medicare Clinic's revenue in the first quarter was higher than in the same period last year. Spending per patient per visit grew from Bt300-Bt400 a year earlier to Bt500-Bt700.

Ninety per cent of the chain's patients seek pimple and skin treatment, with the remainder interested in weight control.

"Medicare Clinic's revenue last year grew by 15 per cent from the year 2007. I expect it to increase by 30 per cent this year," he said.

Wisanu did not, however, disclose the revenue figure for last year.