Bakgrund: Digitaliseringen har haft en stor påverkan på den svenska handeln. E-handeln har de senaste åren fått en ökad betydelse och präglas idag av stark tillväxt. Inom flera branscher har det därtill skett en kanalförflyttning från fysiskt till digitalt och en reduktion av fysiska butiker. Inom den svenska apoteksbranschen har renodlade nätaktörer dykt upp och skapat prispress samt förhöjd konkurrens på marknaden. Detta skapar således problem för apotek med flera försäljningskanaler att generera lönsamhet för överlevnad. Därmed ställs idag krav på en konkurrenskraftig strategi i den digitala ekonomi företag verkar i. Vi ser att det idag finns en avsaknad av vetenskapliga studier angående digitaliseringen av den svenska apoteksverksamheten, varför vi finner detta viktigt att studera. Syfte: Denna uppsats syftar till att förstå hur en ökad digitalisering, med utbredning av e-handel, har påverkat de företag som bedriver apoteksverksamhet i Sverige. Uppsatsen ämnar undersöka detta utefter de aktiviteter som företagen gör i syfte att tillfredsställa eller vinna kunden. Vi vill vidare undersöka de möjligheter som finns för apoteken som bedriver handel, både via fysiska butiker och online, att genom en anpassning te sig unika och stå konkurrenskraftiga i en digital omvärld influerad av e-handel och pressade priser. Metod: Denna kvalitativa uppsats applicerar ett fenomenologiskt perspektiv samt har utvecklats genom en abduktiv ansats. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio respondenter från tre stycken fallföretag inom apoteksverksamheten. Dessa har valts ut genom en kombination av lämplighets-, bekvämlighets- samt snöbollsurval. Slutsats: Svenska fysiska apotek ser idag vikten av att vara verksamma inom flera kanaler. Oavsett aktör görs idag stora satsningar inom e-handeln, vilken apoteken sedan försöker att koppla samman med butiken genom en hög integration och samarbeten med vårdgivare. Givet en fortsatt tillväxt inom e-handeln måste apoteken arbeta med automatisering och bygga ut logistiken. Genom parallella digitaliseringsresor satsar butikerna på digitala lösningar vilka ska skapa smidigare kundupplevelser. Butiker kommer aldrig att försvinna helt, vilket grundar sig i att e-handeln aldrig kommer kunna möta den direkta produktanskaffningen samt erbjuda en social interaktion. Apotekens roll kommer framöver att förändras, där tjänster kommer att vara en större del av värdeerbjudandet och där apoteken närmar sig primärvården. / Background: Digitalisation has had a great impact on Swedish retail. During the recent years e- commerce has gained an increased importance and as of today the phenomenon is characterized by rapid growth. Furthermore, within multiple industries we can detect a transition regarding sales channels, from physical to digital, with a reduction of physical stores. Within the Swedish pharmacy market pure e-commerce players has been established and are now creating competition regarded to low product prices. Pharmacies operating multiple sales channels are thus facing a challenge generating profitability and not having to close down their stores. Therefore, demands are set for a strong competitive strategy, applicable to the digital economy in which the companies are operating. Today, we find a lack of scientific studies investigating digitalisation within the Swedish pharmacymarket, indicating a need for further studies. Purpose: The aim of this thesis is to create an understanding of how an increased digitalisation, with a spread of e-commerce, has affected companies pursuing business within the Swedish pharmacy market. Moreover, we want to further investigate the possibilities laying ahead for pharmacies, operating through both physical stores and online, adjusting to a unique appearance and stay competitive in a digital economy influenced by e-commerce and lowered prices. Methodology: This qualitative thesis takes an abductive approach, while applicating a phenomenological perspective. The empirical material has been gathered through semi- structured interviews with nine respondents representing three case-companies. These have further been selected based upon a combination of a suitability-, a convenience- and a snowball method. Conclusion: Swedish pharmacies are now realizing the importance of running their businesses through multiple channels. Regardless of the actor, great investments are being aimed at developing the e-commerce, which the pharmacies work to connect with the physical stores through high integration and through collaborations with healthcare providers. Given the fact that online shopping continues to grow, the pharmacies must work with automatisation and expanding their logistics. Through parallel journeys of digitalisation the physical stores are working to create better and more efficient customer experiences. These stores will never completely vanish, based on the fact that the direct delivery of products and the social interaction provided by the stores never will be met within the e-commerce. Looking forward, the role of the pharmacy will change, meaning that services will constitute a greater part of the value offer and that the pharmacies will be approaching the primary healthcare. Background: Digitalisation has had a great impact on Swedish retail. During the recent years e- commerce has gained an increased importance and as of today the phenomenon is characterized by rapid growth. Furthermore, within multiple industries we can detect a transition regarding sales channels, from physical to digital, with a reduction of physical stores. Within the Swedish pharmacy market pure e-commerce players has been established and are now creating competition regarded to low product prices. Pharmacies operating multiple sales channels are thus facing a challenge generating profitability and not having to close down their stores. Therefore, demands are set for a strong competitive strategy, applicable to the digital economy in which the companies are operating. Today, we find a lack of scientific studies investigating digitalisation within the Swedish pharmacymarket, indicating a need for further studies. Purpose: The aim of this thesis is to create an understanding of how an increased digitalisation, with a spread of e-commerce, has affected companies pursuing business within the Swedish pharmacy market. Moreover, we want to further investigate the possibilities laying ahead for pharmacies, operating through both physical stores and online, adjusting to a unique appearance and stay competitive in a digital economy influenced by e-commerce and lowered prices. Methodology: This qualitative thesis takes an abductive approach, while applicating a phenomenological perspective. The empirical material has been gathered through semi- structured interviews with nine respondents representing three case-companies. These have further been selected based upon a combination of a suitability-, a convenience- and a snowball method. Conclusion: Swedish pharmacies are now realizing the importance of running their businesses through multiple channels. Regardless of the actor, great investments are being aimed at developing the e-commerce, which the pharmacies work to connect with the physical stores through high integration and through collaborations with healthcare providers. Given the fact that online shopping continues to grow, the pharmacies must work with automatisation and expanding their logistics. Through parallel journeys of digitalisation the physical stores are working to create better and more efficient customer experiences. These stores will never completely vanish, based on the fact that the direct delivery of products and the social interaction provided by the stores never will be met within the e-commerce. Looking forward, the role of the pharmacy will change, meaning that services will constitute a greater part of the value offer and that the pharmacies will be approaching the primary healthcare.

<p>The aim of this thesis is, from a business perspective, to examine how the pharmacy chain Medstop is working with their positioning in order to achieve competitiveness in the re-regulated pharmacy market. This is studied through a theoretical framework that demonstrates five forces that affects the competitiveness in an industry, the five-force model by Michael Porter.</p><p>The thesis is a qualitative case study where data collection was done through interviews, literature, articles, websites and internal information from Medstop. The data was then complied into the theoretical perspective the authors have chosen for this paper, the five-force model by Michael Porter. This model was chosen because it gives a broad description of the competition a company faces by describing five different forces that affect the competition within a branch. The fact was collected on the basis of the marketing strategy positioning, and the essay is written from a business perspective.</p><p>Our cunclusions are that the pharmacy chain Medstop are in their initial positioning and has chosen to position itself on the basis of their core values; credibility, safety and security. The company believes that their customers will base their choice of pharmacy based on the geographical location and the customer experience. Customer experience is based on service and customer relations. Medstop also wants to be perceived as available to the customers and want to target customers who value a small pharmacy with good advice.</p>

The aim of this thesis is, from a business perspective, to examine how the pharmacy chain Medstop is working with their positioning in order to achieve competitiveness in the re-regulated pharmacy market. This is studied through a theoretical framework that demonstrates five forces that affects the competitiveness in an industry, the five-force model by Michael Porter. The thesis is a qualitative case study where data collection was done through interviews, literature, articles, websites and internal information from Medstop. The data was then complied into the theoretical perspective the authors have chosen for this paper, the five-force model by Michael Porter. This model was chosen because it gives a broad description of the competition a company faces by describing five different forces that affect the competition within a branch. The fact was collected on the basis of the marketing strategy positioning, and the essay is written from a business perspective. Our cunclusions are that the pharmacy chain Medstop are in their initial positioning and has chosen to position itself on the basis of their core values; credibility, safety and security. The company believes that their customers will base their choice of pharmacy based on the geographical location and the customer experience. Customer experience is based on service and customer relations. Medstop also wants to be perceived as available to the customers and want to target customers who value a small pharmacy with good advice.

This paper aims to provide a description of how knowledge can occur in Apoteket AB, an organization that is operating on the Swedish pharmacy market. The purpose of this paper is also to describe how the organizational learning occurs in the organization, and how the outcome of this learning can be stored in the organizational memory. This subject is of interest since Apoteket AB experience changes in their external environment in that they no longer have monopoly to sell pharmaceuticals on the Swedish pharmacy market. Earlier research claims that organizations need to develop new knowledge in order to take action, and this development needs to be supported by the management within the organization. The collection of primary data was done by two qualitative interviews with employees within the organization of Apoteket AB. Our conclusions are that knowledge can occur in many forms, such as tacit and explicit knowledge. The vast majority of the knowledge within the organization is the information that can be found in the electronic database Aponet within Apoteket AB, and that is useful for the employees in their daily work, and therefore is known as explicit knowledge. Since this knowledge is to be found through Aponet, the organizational memory plays an important role in sharing knowledge. The organizational learning can also be found in many different forms, making it possible for the organization to benefit from the employees experiences and discoveries. The outcome of this learning is often stored in the organizational memory known as social networks, which includes the employees in different situations.