Mannings honoured with two accolades at Retail Asia Awards 2025

The company has been leading the way in safe medicine disposal and has launched a flagship store that redefines wellness retail.

Mannings, a leading Health & Beauty retail chain in Hong Kong, triumphed at the Retail Asia Awards 2025, bagging the ESG Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong and In-store Customer Experience of the Year - Hong Kong categories. 

Pioneering community health programme

Mannings has become the first community pharmacy chain in Hong Kong to pioneer the “Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines” programme. This is an initiative that helps the public safely dispose of unwanted or expired medicines, thereby protecting the environment and community health.

Improper disposal of medicines, such as tossing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet, can harm both people and the planet. Drug residues may seep into landfills and waterways, contaminating the soil, food, and drinking water. Over time, this can lead to serious issues like drug resistance and the spread of so-called "superbugs."

Research from City University of Hong Kong reveals traces of 43 types of drug residues, including 18 antibiotics, in local rivers. This is the highest number reported globally; yet, currently, there are no regulations in Hong Kong covering household medicine disposal.

Mannings has stepped in with a solution that addresses this gap. The company offers convenient drop-off points for expired or unused medicines across its pharmacy network. This programme supports government efforts to reduce waste at the source, while demonstrating leadership in sustainable healthcare practices.

In 2023 alone, Mannings collected over one million pills. Building on this momentum, the programme was then expanded the next year to nearly 60 pharmacy locations.

During two key collection periods in June and November 2024, Mannings stores equipped with pharmacy services accepted unused medicines from the public. These were later handled by licensed chemical waste treatment centre to ensure safe and proper disposal. Mannings pharmacists also provided free medication counselling, helping customers store and use medicine more wisely to minimise waste.

The November 2024 campaign collected 3.5 million pills, a number that is 3.9% up from June. In total, the programme has gathered over 8 million pills since its launch, with more than 300 medication types returned, the most common being cold and flu remedies.

The campaign closed with a drug counting and sorting activity led by Mannings’ volunteers, who carefully catalogued and weighed each type of medicine before sending it for final disposal.

The programme has received positive feedback from customers, frontline team members, and partners, all of whom found the initiative and health advice from Mannings pharmacists valuable.

Building on its success, Mannings plans to expand its collection stations to more outlets, ensuring that proper disposal facilities are accessible to an even wider audience across Hong Kong.

All-in-one health and beauty flagship store at ifc

Mannings launched its reinvented all-in-one flagship store at the International Finance Centre (ifc) in Central, meeting the growing consumer demand for smarter and more personalised wellness solutions. Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central Business District, the ifc mall is a prime destination for both locals and visitors. 

The new store features Hong Kong’s first-ever Mannings “Health Pod,” a free and AI-powered station that offers a full health check-up in just five minutes. With this, customers can measure over 20 health indicators, including blood pressure, blood oxygen level, body composition, skin health, and even tooth shade, enabling early detection of potential health issues.

Each user receives a digital health report, followed by a personalised, one-on-one consultation with a Mannings Wellness Coach, a certified nutritionist who tailors wellness plans based on the results and the customer’s lifestyle. 

Another standout feature is “Mannings’ Picks,” a curated interactive display showcasing best-selling global health and beauty products. Shoppers can place any product on an NFC sensor to instantly access detailed product information.

Mannings has also further enhanced preventive care and self-management by collaborating with leading brands to offer exclusive digitalised self-service health assessments in-store, including Cold/ Flu and Pain Relief Hub with HALEON, Gum Check Station with Colgate.

These innovative approaches have resonated well with customers, with over 99% of them praising the new look and feel of the reinvented store. More than 90% expressed their willingness to recommend it to others, whilst users of the Health Pod rated it with a near-perfect satisfaction score of 6.9 out of 7.

Mannings' innovative approach at the ifc flagship is already influencing store upgrades across the city. It sets a new standard in retail that prioritises the health and well-being of the modern consumer.

The Retail Asia Awards honours the achievements and innovations of key players in the retail industry across the Asia-Pacific region. The annual event also serves as a showcase of the diverse range of categories in various aspects of the sector.

The Retail Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the Retail industry, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].