Interview: “The Tesco Dental group offers a one-stop solution for the dental industry”

Could you introduce Tesco briefly for our readers?
The Tesco Dental group offers a one-stop solution for the dental industry. Our portfolio includes dental education, different types of advanced dental products and equipment for dental practices and laboratories, including after-sales training and consultant services.

Our professionals are dedicated to providing training in advanced dental technology to lead modern dentistry into the future. Tesco Dental offers quality services and technical support and brings bright smiles to our customers through our genuine aesthetics concept. We listen carefully to our customers and treat them with consideration and respect.

What are your values as a family-owned business?
Trust in the family allows us to share our opinions openly and freely. It enhances our company’s efficiency, since decisions do not need to pass through a complicated hierarchy. It really took a while for us to understand our strengths and beliefs. Over the past few years, we have summarised the core values of our company: integrity, creativity and passion.

How would you describe your position in the market?
I would say we are a pioneer and a market leader in terms of offering complete dental solutions. In the very beginning, my father, Cheung Tak, who founded the company, together with VITA Zahnfabrik was among the few introducing metal–ceramic restorations to China in the early 1980s. Today, we focus on both analogue and digital restorations, as well as infection control, endodontics and oral health care.

Have you observed any trends that you feel Tesco ought to follow?
Artificial intelligence and an increasing digitalisation must be the leading trend regarding future developments. We have adopted the latest payment technologies, now offering users the convenience of Alipay and UnionPay and credit payments using Visa or Mastercard.

Regarding our social media activities, we have a WeChat fan page that provides dental information, news and updates and that links dental professionals. Currently, we have over 176,000 followers; this number represents about 70 per cent of all dentists in China.

Moreover, the Asian market has been growing rapidly, resulting in huge demand in the dental industry. This is mainly due to a general increase in income and people seeking a better quality of life. Consider Taiwan, for example. It is a market with increased emphasis on and concern regarding infection control and oral health care, so we provide a variety of related products to meet the country’s shifting needs.

Do you plan to make inroads into other fields or regions?
We plan to expand geographically, but focus only on dentistry-related industries, as it is our main expertise—especially for emerging markets such as the Philippines, which we believe represents great growth potential for us.

What are your strategic plans for the future?
We are seeking business opportunities worldwide. In recent years, we have acquired several quality dental enterprises, manufacturers and research projects. Our goal is to become a comprehensive dental solutions provider all over the world.

Editorial note: This is an abridged version of an interview published in Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition, Vol. 15, No. 9. Readers can access the complete issue free of charge in the Dental Tribune International online print archive.

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