Fitness, healthcare just a click away

Healthcare is one of the key sectors of the economy and will continue to become even more important with the passage of time. However, the way healthcare and lifestyle — primarily fitness — products are sold today is very similar to how everyday items are sold at supermarkets. No record-keeping of customer-related data, no options for special orders and no customisations available. Moreover, customers have to visit multiple stores i.e. opticians, fitness stores and pharmacies to find their healthcare product needs.

Realising a gap in the marketplace, Faraz Khan, founder and CEO of souKare, decided to offer customers a one-stop shop for all their healthcare and lifestyle needs, and optimise the customer journey, both for orders and re-orders.

“With that goal in mind, we have greatly simplified the ordering, reordering and delivery processes – the 90-minute delivery within Dubai is just one example of how we are fulfilling our commitment of hasslefree healthcare to customer doorstep, says Faraz.

SouKare.com is a tech startup, based in Dubai, that aims to become a leading online lifestyle and healthcare destination for consumers in the region, and beyond. Initially piloted as an online contact lens store in the UAE, souKare recently expanded into fitness products and aims to diversify across products and services.

“Within two years we expanded the contact lens range to include all major global brands across coloured and corrective collections, such asAcuvue, Solotica, Bella, Anesthesia and more. We have launched a massive collection of fitness items including healthy snacks, fitness drinks, mass gain, muscle gain and wealth loss items. Currently, we not only supply all in-stock items to our Dubai customers within 90 minutes, but also offer express delivery worldwide for our contact lens range, and all across the UAE and Saudi Arabia for fitness products. Most countries qualify for free shipping above a certain minimum order spend, which has been kept very low on a promotional basis,” explains the CEO.

According to Frost & Sullivan Research, e-commerce will be a megatrend for businesses in the UAE and the market is expected to stand at $10 billion this year.

“Therefore, souKare’s offering leverages the fact that online shopping continues to change the orientation of the lifestyle and healthcare sector, with more consumers preferring the convenience of online shopping from their mobile, and delivery to their door,” he describes.

“Designed to offer customers, a simpler, safer, superior experience, souKare aims to disrupt the way in which contact lenses and fitness products are purchased, by providing access to an unparalleled portfolio of leading brands,” he continues.

Faraz says that geographic expansion is also on his roadmap, primarily across the broader Mena region.

“We will soon be launching a new product category that is in high demand, especially in the region as the trend towards healthy living and healthy foods pick up pace. Launch is planned for next month,” he says.

After successfully raising Dh1.5 million from Gulf-based investors, souKare is planning to go for another round soon.

“Current investors include a number of major regional angel investors from the UAE and Saudi Arabia including CEOs, partners and senior management from Strategy Consulting, Private Equity and startup firms, amongst others,” Faraz says

Yousuf Siddiki, Saudi investor and partner at ValuStrat, sees great potential in the online market for lifestyle and healthcare products and services.

“I am a big believer in souKare’s vision to provide a simpler, safer and superior solution to customers and redefine the sector,” Siddiki says.

Another investor and director at one of the Big 4 firms, Adnan Fazli, says: “There is clearly a big opportunity, that souKare is aiming to capture with well-tailored solutions driven by a robust strategy.”

Faraz worked for over 13 years at top-tier management consulting, investment banking and tech firms in the US, UK, Middle East and Asia, focusing on startups, transformations, strategy, operations and marketing. He first moved to UAE in 2006 with McKinsey & Company and has developed deep insights into the GCC market over the last 12 years.

“There are currently no companies offering the same product mix or service level commitment as souKare. Our online website experience, instant calls to customers for order confirmation and delivery scheduling, real-time delivery and after-sales support are unmatched in the market,” he claims.

consumers are preferring the convenience of online shopping from their mobile, and delivery to their door

Faraz Khan,

Founder and CEO of souKare