Cough, Cold and Allergy (Hay Fever) Remedies in Egypt

PROSPECTS

Category sales continue to be supported by strong preference for self-medication

2019 saw further strong growth in sales of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies and this can be attributed mainly to the strong preference for self-medication among the majority of Egyptians. Faced with long waits and high prices for consultations with a doctor, the majority of Egyptians turn to retail pharmacists as the first point of call when faced with a cough, cold and flu or moderate allergy symptoms.

Demand remains highly seasonal in all categories

One notable feature of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in Egypt is that sales are highly seasonal. In cough remedies, decongestants, pharyngeal preparations, and combination products, sales pitch strongly during the annual colds and flu season, which is generally between October and March.

Inconsistent supply products and supplements stock shortages hit sales

Many of the leading brands in cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies faced difficulties during 2019 as the supply of products to retail outlets remained inconsistent, resulting in frequent shortages of some brands. Indeed, some brands remained completely unavailable for extended periods during the year.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

GSK Consumer Healthcare enters category as the strong leading player

GSK Consumer Healthcare sustained the strong leadership of GlaxoSmithKline in cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in 2019 as it inherited category-leading brands such as Zyrtec, Otrivin and Comtrex. However, it should be noted that the company’s Bradoral brand was discontinued during the year as supply of this product became too unprofitable to justify its ongoing supply.

Seasonality of demand hits profitability, suppressing sales growth.

Demand for cold, cough and allergy (hay fever) remedies remains highly seasonal, with the prevailing weather and the severity of seasonal changes playing a huge role in determining levels of demand from one year to the next. The seasonality continues to have a detrimental impact on the ability of the players present in the category to operate profitably and this has resulted in an inconsistent supply for some popular brands.

Restrictions on marketing lead players to focus promotional efforts on retail outlets

With TV and print advertising for specific OTC brands still prohibited by the Ministry of Health, the marketing of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies products is largely restricted to in-store promotional materials in chemists/pharmacies outlets. However, in recent years category players have started to advertise their products via social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which until recently represented a grey area that remained unregulated by the government.

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