Thank You Drug Co.

What Thank You Drug Co. does

Thank You Drug Co. (株式会社サンキュードラッグ / SanKyu Drug Co., Ltd.) operates a chain of dispensing pharmacies and drugstores headquartered in Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Founded circa 1955 and celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, the company runs over 20 brick-and-mortar locations spanning all 7 wards of Kitakyushu, Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Iizuka City in Fukuoka Prefecture, with extended evening hours of up to 23:00 at many sites. The chain serves local residents with insurance-billed prescription dispensing, OTC drug and health merchandise retail, home-visit pharmaceutical care under Japan's long-term care insurance system, and a suite of specialty services including Kitakyushu's first certified specialized oncology pharmacy (専門医療機関連携薬局) at Chiyogaki Pharmacy, Kampo (traditional Chinese herbal medicine) consultations under the Tsumugi-do (つむぎ堂) brand, childcare consultation events, and health seminars.

The company's service portfolio extends into preventive health and lifestyle management through the Smile Club program (3-month dietitian-led diet and exercise courses priced at ¥10,000-10,600) and Smile Exercise classes (¥800 per session). Digital channels include LINE-based prescription inquiry and medication consultation, the Sankyu Medication Handbook App for digital prescription records, the third-party SOKUYAKU online consultation platform, and the Karada Karte (からだカルテ) body-measurement app for activity tracking. The Marika Card loyalty program and emergency contraceptive availability across 22 stores further broaden the retail and clinical offering.

The business model is anchored in Japanese national health insurance prescription dispensing fees supplemented by OTC retail margins, home-care insurance billings, and modest subscription revenue from Smile Club memberships. The company is privately held with no institutional investors or public listing, led by CEO Kenji Hirano (平野健二), and pursues growth through a combination of new store openings (including the flagship Moji Port locations with tax-free shopping for international visitors), pharmacy business acquisitions (announced December 2025), and civic-level partnerships such as the comprehensive cooperation agreement signed with Kitakyushu City in December 2025.

Name

Thank You Drug Co.

Legal name

株式会社サンキュードラッグ

Website

https://drug39.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Thank You Drug Co. is a privately held Japanese pharmacy and drugstore chain headquartered in Kitakyushu, operating over 20 prescription and retail locations across Kitakyushu, Shimonoseki, and Iizuka, serving local residents with dispensing, home-visit care, oncology pharmacy, and health management programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Pharmacy

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (45611)

SIC

Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Community Pharmacies (Chain/Independent) (HLAFALAA)

Keywords

• Retail pharmacy services
• Prescription dispensing
• Drugstore retail
• Home healthcare pharmacy
• Kampo herbal consultation

Headquarters

HQ city

Moji

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Prescription Dispensing (调剂业务): Dispensing prescription medications ordered by physicians. Services include in-store dispensing, home delivery for home-care patients, and one-dose packaging (おくすり一小时化). Insurance billing (保险请求) is a core revenue component.
2. Drugstore Retail Sales: Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, health supplements, cosmetics, and general merchandise sold at retail stores across the chain.
3. Smile Club Health Management Program: A 3-month managed diet and exercise program with dedicated nutritionists, including measurement sessions and personal coaching. Revenue from membership fees (10,000-10,600 yen per 3-month course).
4. Home-visit Pharmaceutical Care (在宅訪問管理指導): Home visits by pharmacists delivering medications, providing medication guidance, and coordinating with physicians for home-care patients. Covered under Japan's long-term care insurance system.
5. Health Seminars and Events: Free community health seminars hosted at venues across Kitakyushu on topics such as breast cancer, rheumatism, heart failure, dementia, and bone/joint health. Serves as community engagement and brand-building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Thank You Drug Co. operates a chain of dispensing pharmacies and drugstores across Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki, providing prescription medication dispensing covered by Japan's national health insurance, OTC drug and health-product retail, home-visit pharmaceutical care for elderly patients, Kampo herbal-medicine consultations, specialized oncology pharmacy services, and a subscription health-management program (Smile Club).

Product overview

Thank You Drug Co. (株式会社サンキュードラッグ) operates a chain of dispensing pharmacies and drug stores (サンキュードラッグ / サンキュー薬局) across Kitakyushu City (小倉北区, 小倉南区, 戸畑区, 八幡西区, 八八幡东区, 若松区, 門司区), Shimonoseki City (下関市), and surrounding areas. The core offering is prescription dispensing (処方箋受付・保険調味料), supported by a smartphone medication handbook app (お薬手帳). The company provides specialized services including Kampo herbal medicine consultations (漢方はんかんつむぎ堂), online medical consultations (SOKUYAKU), home visit pharmaceutical care (在宅訪問管理指導), and a specialized oncology pharmacy (専門医療機関連携薬局). Health management programs include the Smile Club diet/exercise service (スマイルクラブ), Smile Exercise Classes (スマイル体操教室), childcare consultations (育児相談会), and health measurement services. The company also publishes a quarterly health magazine (読む救急箱), operates a point card program (マリカカード), and provides clinic startup/succession support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• サンキュー中国語つむぎ堂: Herbal medicine (Kampo) consultation service operated under the brand 'Tsumugi-do.' Features online constitution self-diagnosis tools and dedicated store locations for Kampo consultations.

Products and services

• Prescription Dispensing and Insurance Pharmacy Services
• Sankyu Medication Handbook App (サンキューお薬手帳アプリ)

Quantifiable outcome

• Smile Club members have achieved weight loss of 10 kg, fatty liver resolution, and medication reduction (e.g., daily medication halved) in documented testimonial cases.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kitakyushu City (北九州市)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Thank You Drug Co. and Kitakyushu City signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement (包括連携協定) in December 2025 to collaborate on community health promotion, emergency medical care support, and local healthcare initiatives. The signing ceremony was featured on the city's official press channel. This is a flagship civic partnership reflecting the company's deep roots in the Kitakyushu community.
• 39medical-partner.jp (39 медецал партнёр)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as '39MP' on the Thank You Drug Co. website, this platform provides clinic opening support and business succession services for pharmacies and medical operators, extending the company's services into the healthcare business consulting space.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tsuruha Holdings: One of Japan's largest drugstore chains combining dispensing pharmacy operations with OTC and household goods retail. Operates thousands of stores nationwide including in Kyushu, directly competing with Thank You Drug Co. in the same retail-pharmacy hybrid format.
• Sundrug: Drugstore chain operating dispensing pharmacies alongside OTC and cosmetics retail across multiple prefectures. Direct hybrid retail-pharmacy peer operating in Japanese regional markets.
• Welcia Holdings: Major Japanese drugstore chain with a strong dispensing pharmacy and H&BC product mix, including significant Kyushu presence. Closely comparable business model combining prescription dispensing with high-volume OTC retail.
• Cosmos Pharmaceutical: Value-focused drugstore chain with a strong footprint in regional Japan. Comparable hybrid drugstore-plus-dispensing model serving similar mid-sized Japanese cities.
• Create SD Holdings: Drugstore chain with integrated dispensing pharmacy operations. Closely comparable in offering OTC and prescription dispensing services within a multi-format regional Japanese retail footprint.
• GENKY DrugStores: Regional-leaning Japanese drugstore chain with dispensing pharmacy operations, positioned similarly as a multi-format regional retailer competing with national incumbents.
• Ain Holdings: Japan's largest dispensing pharmacy-focused chain with significant Kyushu operations and a mix of standalone pharmacies and drugstore-adjacent formats. Comparable on the dispensing and pharmacy-services side of Thank You Drug Co.'s business.

Broad incumbents

• Matsukiyo Cocokara & Co. Major drugstore and dispensing pharmacy operator (Matsumoto Kiyoshi and Cocokara Fine brands). Comparable hybrid retail-pharmacy model with broader H&BC and cosmetics emphasis.

Emerging players

• Nihon Chouzai: Pharmacy-focused operator with dispensing pharmacy and online prescription delivery capabilities. Useful as a reference for pharmacy-side services and home-care pharmaceutical delivery models that overlap with Thank You Drug Co.'s home-visit service.

Regional players

• Kirindo Holdings: Drugstore and dispensing pharmacy chain with regional Japanese footprint. Comparable hybrid retail-pharmacy format, useful as a regional-scale reference point for Thank You Drug Co.'s size and growth trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/-fsdY7jaR6k?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=-fsdY7jaR6k
• Xx.com/drug39_saiyou

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thank You Drug Co.