After rapid expansion in recent years, influenced by the growth of foreign clients, mainly Italians, the medical services market, especially dental services, is being reformatted.
Large companies are specializing and investing in infrastructure, even in the hotel industry.
As in any other segment, once it is seen to be profitable, competition increases rapidly, and this is also happening with dental services.
Market operators say one of the main developments is the opening of many small clinics, which have entered the market after being attracted by high returns. This influx has led to a decline in prices, which has slowed down the growth of companies and reduced profit margins.
The Italian market continues to be dominant, especially that of Southern Italy, which is known for being thrifty and trying to get the best deals.
Clients are attracted through several channels, the most important of which are agents who operate as call centers, although the problem is the decrease in people who speak Italian, which is no longer dominant among the younger generation, with the latter increasingly oriented towards English.
These call centers are usually small with 3-4 people, who often have difficulty managing the work, which is complex and requires coordination in scheduling, waiting, patient follow-up, etc., with the likelihood that the process will fail.
Companies are trying to move away from this model by focusing on marketing on social networks, through influencers, or advertising in Italian media.
Large operators are also investing in accommodation. Almost all of them are opening hotels, which reduces the cost of accommodation and helps in coordinating work and managing clients.
With the increase in activity, the big ones are trying to target clientele and specialize or even split into several companies.
Strong competition is also negatively affecting quality. Market operators claim that in an effort to reduce costs and increase supply, companies have turned to China to purchase materials.
Competition and lack of staff have greatly increased costs and there are many entities that have entered this market and have not managed to thrive.
The greatest of dentistry
“Brianza Dent” is the largest operator in the field of dental services, with shareholder Dr. Luan Mavriqi. After rapid growth in recent years, the company's revenues fell for the first time by 12%, to 1.25 billion lek.
Profits also shrank by 25%, to 308 million lekë. The rate was reduced to 25%, from 37% two years ago.
The clinic, according to its website, offers a range of dental services such as implants, veneers, e-max, dental appliances, and orthodontics. The clinic emphasizes that it serves both domestic and foreign clients.
“M&M MEDICAL”, operating in the field of dentistry, is a company established in December 2023, by sole partner Egresa Mavriqi, also part of the “Brianza” group. The company reported in its first year of activity revenues of 1.4 billion lek and profits of 580 million lek, with a rate of 40%.
According to the activity report, the company has 236 employees. “The company M&M Medical' sh.pk, like the entire economy, is exposed to price, credit, liquidity and cash flow risks.
One of the main factors of this risk is, without a doubt, the increase in the purchase prices of goods and inflation, which also affects the exchange rate of currencies.
"Since most of our clients operate in foreign currencies – mainly in Euros – the depreciation of this currency has resulted in a decrease in the company's revenues," the activity report states.
“UPTC”, based in Lushnja, operating under the trade name “My Dental Tourism” (Azalea) is the second largest in the country, giving impetus to the entire city, by attracting tourists, who potentially spend in this city, which is not well known to foreigners. The company's revenues were 655 million lekë, with an increase of 28%.
However, profits remain minimal, at 87 million lek, with a rate of 13%, unlike other operators, which have higher returns. According to the activity report, “UPTC” sh.pk has had a stable and expanded development since its establishment in 2017.
Its activity is focused on the following areas: Dental services (general and specialized dentistry); Dental tourism (accommodation and transportation for foreign patients); Aesthetic services.
In Lushnja, the company operates two two-story dental clinics. A new aesthetic clinic is expected to open in Lushnja soon, with the aim of fully concentrating aesthetic medicine services.
The company reports that in Tirana there have been and are several secondary units open, with high mobility, due to adaptation to the capital's market.
Elite Dental is the third largest operator in the market. The company reported 335 million lek in revenue in 2024 and profits of 156 million lek, with a margin of 47%.
The company operated under this name only for half of the year, due to the change in the NIPT. In 2023, the company had revenues of around 560 million lek.
Italians, "stingy" , remain the main market
According to market sources, the high price difference for dental services between Albania and other countries, around 35-40% cheaper, is one of the main reasons that it is attracting foreigners.
The main competitor is Turkey, which has comparable or lower prices than Albania. Croatia, once another favorite country, has become more expensive, catching up in services with other European countries, such as Italy.
Italianët, të njohur si “koprracë”, dominojnë në klientelë. Operatorët e tregut shprehen me shaka se ata nuk e quajnë më as turizëm dentar, sepse klientët priren që të mos shpenzojnë asgjë jashtë paketës së shërbimit.
Një person që ka probleme me të gjithë dhëmbët mund të marrë shërbimin e vendosjes së tyre në Shqipëri për 10 mijë euro, ndërsa në Itali kushton mesatarisht 20-25 mijë euro. Kostot e akomodimit dhe të fluturimeve janë të ulëta.
Klientët italianë janë në pjesën më të madhe nga Italia e Jugut dhe të moshës mbi 50 vjeç.
Tregu po bën përpjekje për t’u diversifikuar. Ka pasur interes, sipas operatorëve nga frëngjishtfolësit. Britanikët janë një objektiv i mirë potencial, por ata tradicionalisht preferojnë Turqinë.
Klinikat dentare janë munduar të fusin shërbime estetike, po kjo nuk ka funksionuar shumë, si nga mungesa e eksperiencës, ashtu edhe modeli i biznesit të ngritur. Më të vështirët janë nordikët, që janë skeptikë, për shkak se Shqipëria nuk ka emër në këtë treg.
Shtimi i konkurrencës rriti shqetësimin tek operatorët, se mund të bëhet në kurriz të cilësisë dhe kohës së shërbimit. Implantet janë shërbime me 10 vjet garanci dhe nëse shfaqin probleme më pas te klientët, pjesa më e madhe e të cilëve janë në moshë të madhe, mund të dëmtojnë imazhin e vendit.
Edhe mediat italiane kanë shkruar me skepticizëm për cilësinë e këtij shërbimi. Gjithsesi, operatorët sugjerojnë se potenciali i këtij tregu është i madh, por gjithmonë nëse do të kishte kontrollin e duhur nga institucionet shtetërore.
Klinikat e mëdha ofrojnë standarde të larta e shërbime cilësore, të niveleve europiane, ndërsa janë konkurruese me çmimet.
Shtohet konkurrenca dhe për shërbimet estetike
Është e zakonshme që në rrugët e Tiranës, apo në aeroport, të shohësh të huaj me hundë e kokë të fashuar.
Pamela, një shqiptare që jeton e punon në Itali si fizioterapiste, thotë se koleget e saj i thonë vazhdimisht se kanë dëgjuar që shërbimet estetike në Tiranë kushtojnë shumë më lirë se në Itali dhe shprehin interesin të shkojnë e t’i kryejnë ato.
Konkurrenca është shtuar dhe në këtë segment, duke sjellë ngadalësim të rritjes apo dhe rënie për të mëdhenjtë.
“Sombrero” (Klinika Keit) është më e madhja në vend për mjekësinë e specializuar estetike.
Në vitin 2024, të ardhurat e kompanisë ishin për herë të parë me tendencë rënëse, duke u tkurrur me 14%, në 839 milionë lekë, ndërsa në vitin 2023 ishin rritur me 8.2% dhe në vitin 2022 u dyfishuan. Në vitin 2024, fitimet u përgjysmuan në 187 milionë lekë, duke dalë nga renditja e “Monitor 200”.
Edhe norma e kthimit u reduktua ndjeshëm në 22%, nga 37% në 2023, dhe 48% në vitin 2022.
Pavarësisht rënies së të ardhurave dhe fitimeve, kompania raportoi shtim të shpenzimeve të personalit me 16%, në 211 milionë lekë. Më e shtrenjtë ishte dhe lënda e parë, duke u bërë një faktor tjetër në tkurrjen e fitimeve.
According to sources from "Sombrero", even for aesthetic interventions, the main clients are Italians. Some of the surgical procedures that are usually in high demand and preferred by patients are:
– Liposuction, a common procedure for removing excess fat from areas of the body such as the abdomen, waist, breasts, and thighs.
– Rhinoplasty, an intervention to change the shape of the nose to improve the appearance of the face.
– Face Lift: This is an intervention to smooth wrinkles and restore a younger appearance to the face.
– Breast augmentation: This category includes changes in breast size through implants or body fat transfer.
– Abdominoplasty: A procedure to remove excess skin cells and fat from the abdominal area.
– Hair transplantation: For people with visible hair loss, hair transplantation is an option, with requests mainly from foreigners.
Private hospitals are also looking with interest at offering aesthetic services. "American Hospital", the largest in the country, emphasized in its annual report that it will also focus on expanding its activity outside of Albania and developing medical tourism, further increasing its service capacities.
“The healthcare sector is an area of growing opportunity for hospital investors, especially those looking to target international patients from nearby European markets such as Italy, Greece and the Balkans.
Many foreign patients are already traveling to Albania for quality healthcare services at lower costs, and this trend is expected to continue to grow as private healthcare standards improve. /Monitor
