KUALA LUMPUR (July 21): Creador-backed retail pharmacy chain BIG Pharmacy Healthcare Sdn Bhd has inked a deal to buy its competitor Caring Pharmacy Group Bhd from convenience store operator 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd in a deal worth RM900 million, sources told The Edge.

“7-Eleven has closed a deal for the sale of Caring Pharmacy. An announcement on the transaction is expected to be made as soon as today,” a source said.

Driven by the possible sale of Caring Pharmacy, shares of 7-Eleven gained 5.2% or 11 sen to RM2.24 at the time of writing. The counter hit a high of RM2.29 in the morning trading session, making it one of the top gainers on Bursa Malaysia on Friday (July 21). About 212,400 shares have changed hands so far.

7-Eleven owns 75% of Caring, while the remainder is held by Motivasi Optima Sdn Bhd. 7-Eleven’s largest shareholder is Berjaya Corp Bhd founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan, who controls 28.34% of the company.

Another source highlighted that BIG Pharmacy, which was the third highest bidder for Caring Pharmacy, has emerged as the winner after 7-Eleven’s negotiations with the two other main bidders for Caring Pharmacy — the US-based private equity fund Carlyle Group Carlyle and Luxembourg-based investment advisory firm CVC Capital Partners — fell through.

Citing sources, The Edge had in October last year reported that Carlyle Group was at the advanced stage of negotiation in acquiring Caring Pharmacy.

It was learnt that Carlyle Group had made a RM1.3 billion offer to buy the retail pharmacy chain, but 7-Eleven was seeking between RM1.5 billion and RM1.8 billion.

Meanwhile, it is understood that BIG Pharmacy, which operates 282 outlets, is actively expanding its stores ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO).

BIG Pharmacy is co-founded by husband-and-wife qualified pharmacists Lee Meng Chuan and Lim Sin Yin.

A check on the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) showed that BIG Pharmacy is 100%-owned by BIG Pharmacy Holdings Sdn Bhd (BPHSB).

Lee and Lim collectively have a direct stake of 15% in BPHSB. They also indirectly own a 40.22% stake in BPHSB via Uptown Paradise Sdn Bhd.

It is worth noting that local private equity firm Creador — founded by its CEO Brahmal Vasudevan — also has a 35.03% stake in BPHSB, held through Iris Pallida Sdn Bhd.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/675550

This post has been edited by premier239: Jul 21 2023, 11:47 AM

Semua salah LGE Dan iheb

I love caring pharmacy.. good store .. as long when BIG aquired it , run like caring now better.. good inventory

big pharmacy really big now

Caring had a good start, started become Uncaring

good case study

Never knew Caring is owned by 7-11

salahan vincent tan?

once IPO, conlanfirm will become shit one.

Everest: BIG

Alamak. 14 JOM Pharmacy just converted to CaRing a few weeks ago.

Big

big pharmacy really rich now, no wonder every day also open new big store

Hope caring price won't increase after this.....
They are the cheapest among others chain store.....

IPO then cabut

T0.001% punya game ni

Pharmacy monopoly, can feel their aggressive branch opening here and there around Malaysia. Aggressive to sign up customer to be member etc.

This post has been edited by yongku99: Jul 21 2023, 12:01 PM

Caring and BIG are literally side by side in Taman Megah. Wonder if they'll close one down.

they doing it for IPO, once after IPO will become profit greedy shit.

Off coz..😀

900m.... wow

Time for creator investors to unlock value soon

Georgetown pharmacy> all

Everest: BIG

anything IPO is a big nono

I like Caring pharmacy. Rarely go to Big
Edit. Inb4 hidup di dunia cuma sementara. No need pharmacy.

This post has been edited by JoeYoung: Jul 21 2023, 12:13 PM

whos behind BIG anyway? thought only saw it florish during the covid time, then now suddenly big enough to swallow caring.

caring is good one, big is more expensive, too bad not the other way araound.

Yea...

all in Big Pharmacy shares to the mooooooon

NBDRE

I go to Caring Pharmacy just to buy meds at the counter.

For toiletries item, I purchase at Guardian or Watsons

They are cheaper than Caring and Big

This post has been edited by xpole: Jul 21 2023, 12:17 PM

I always had the impression BIG and AA were cheaper than caring. Maybe just the things I usually buy.

Incoming BIGGER pharmacy.

KJ hinted you

no more RM 1 fee clinical consultation in future

gov will cut subsidy

next time doctor give you consultation only

buy medicines need go pharmacy

wow big pharmacy so ambitious. so new yet grow so fast to IPO.

background $$ must be super strong

kan dah cakap in the article, it is creador

same vc for tealive, mr diy

This post has been edited by premier239: Jul 21 2023, 12:21 PM

Wellings > all

Consumer lose at the end with less competition

wtf man, how is Big Pharmacy so rich, I thought pharmacy only..

they can afford such big purchase, insane...

Sudah dump mr diy liao

the point of gobbling up competitors is to reduce competition.

i think they didn't start out as retailers

they were already big as wholesalers

i wonder what lies in store for AA pharmacy

Wait... caring phamarcy is under 7e???? How come 7e inventory is expensive, but caring is cheap?

Hope after Big acquired Caring, the price can still be cheap, i love caring when many of their normal price item is cheaper than competitors' promotion price

Are they importers,suppliers and retailers at the same time? it's crazy they branch out here and there so fast, if they all under one roof, damn old school SST give them so much loopholes to play around with.

This has been talked about for many many years...
will not happen... too many doctors lobbying against it.
even big pharmas are not supporting this notion.

That time those companies such as Berjaya and koperasi wanna open 1000 pharmacies nationwide because of this. Tak jadi pun. Doctors very powerful wei. U want to snatch their rice bowl?
Now Berjaya slowly doing this. Who knows what's in their plan.

Not yet IPO. You need to buy the shares through private negotiation.

Jadilah Bigger Pharmacy now

Where is the anti-monopoly commission?

There're so many pharmacy chains in malaysia...

last time nvr hear of big then suddenly become big player
lsat time caring was ok but ever since i returned i notice caring like dying
cannot fight with watson or guardian
but in the end i still go back to watson more than the others
big macam can macam cannot
but turns out can wor
maybe can gamble a little on the IPO

BIG - everest

of cos la got so much money..during covid times all the uncle auntie keep buying lianhua pills... cost 50 bucks a box and few dosage...one shot buy few boxes when kena covid...biggest covid scam man shit doesn't even work...

Bbb

ok this makes more sense, so from wholesale then they expand to retail

Big will be the biggest now after acquiring Caring

Now wait for toilet company IPO

Then they are like CelcomDigi.

nice purchase
time to readjust the stuff pricing due to progress
investor waiting for windfall report at year end

Monopoly it is ....

Build

Goreng

Dump

Creador seen the potential of both and their synergization

lol creador want the figures to look pretty then push for ipo n dump je

they not warren buffett alike long term holder

Bbb uuu

i find caring pharmacy, usually sell old stock / near expiry.

DIY was the e.g

Another project by Creador

Welling under Caring already

Medium fish eat small fish, Big fish eat medium fish

wow

Big pharmacy so kaya 1 ah?

salah PN jugak.. salah Momo... salah PUAS

creador is behind BIG pharmacy.. the same one behind tealive n mr diy

i remember some actually under same group aka sub brand from same company for specific focus

in the end money goes to same pot

Pharmacy now so competitive. Everywhere also open new stores and different brand / even local pharmacies

This post has been edited by drug5: Jul 21 2023, 02:46 PM

Healthlane >all

PMG pharmacy better.

https://www.mycc.gov.my/e-complaint

That was teh game all along. Caring knows how to play the game.

Many big fellas wanna masuk pharmacy...
Sunway acquired Multicare...
99 Speedmart start their own pharmacy chain Careon...
More to come (Alpro telan AA?)...
But honestly... retail pharmacy not good margins on meds leh...
sell shampoo and makeup also make more

This post has been edited by McDullDull: Jul 21 2023, 03:48 PM

Ya, last time lose to AA, then starting few years back, suddenly very aggressive, rebrand itself, change logo, and opening new stores like mushroom...

Not sure what happened, probably major revamp of their management team.

Always I compare prices between Caring and Big Pharmacy. Some items the Caring is cheaper, others the Big Pharmacy is cheaper.

Damn.

Creador

China will grow larger.

Oh wait.

*knocks down wall*

"HOWDY NEIGHBOUR! NOW WE ARE ONE!"

my house 1 taman got big pharmacy, aa pharmacy, guardian, caring, all day pharmacy, and another local pharmacy.

no need compete, just bought it off and monopolized the market.

Caring is the cheapest pharmacy. Hopefully the new owner wont increase price.

Ecoshop as well

Old ppl taman?

From day one Berjaya has share in it, recently just privatize at RM560mil and now sold it to AA for RM900mil, untung RM340mil just like that.

Convenient store like 7-11 sure sell at higher margin.

Acquired by Caring already la. Hahaha

When caring first opened, my prescriptions I found had a big difference in price compared to if I beli at Watsons or guardian. Things were affordable back then.

Drillz of lim sin yin mane?

BIG is gearing up against Alpro it seems.

Well, good luck. With increasing price of meds and ever higher salary of resident pharmacist, BIG can either win very big, or..

PJ area ka?

Klang

alpro kicimiao je la

big pharmacy is big
big more option
but not in shopping mall like watsons and guardian

Behold the power of Pharma de Médicis Royal Pharmacy spreading to serve many:




BIG gonna monopolize and swallow them small pharmacy.

This post has been edited by fu'house: Jul 21 2023, 09:52 PM

Didn’t realise having 200+ outlets is considered kicimiao.