E-commerce Era Drives Innovation in Medical Device Sales: Vinno Ventures into Online Ultrasound Distribution

It is said that during this year’s Tmall Double 11 Shopping Festival, avid shoppers once again created a miracle: sales surpassed RMB 10 billion within the first three minutes and RMB 80 billion within two hours, ultimately concluding with a remarkable total of RMB 168.2 billion. While we may envy Jack Ma’s substantial profits, we must also acknowledge that the rise of e-commerce has not only transformed consumer habits but also reshaped the development of various industries.

Take the healthcare industry, for example. As is well known, it is a relatively entrenched sector, making transformation quite challenging. However, some healthcare manufacturers are now shifting their sales strategies and prioritizing their online presence. Pharmaceutical companies have entered the fray of pharmaceutical e-commerce, medical device manufacturers are expanding their online operations, and even some large-scale medical equipment producers are eyeing this lucrative market.

Recently, VCBeat learned that VINNO, a medical device manufacturer, has also taken action by selling ultrasound diagnostic systems online. As is well known, medical device manufacturers are typically perceived as highly conservative. What, then, prompted VINNO to take such a “bold step”?

In an interview with VINNO’s Chief Operating Officer, Tian Yuan, she stated, “Before the emergence of Taobao and JD.com, our home appliances and large furniture items were actually sold through multiple layers of distributors, much like medical devices. However, we now see that home appliances are selling even better online than in brick-and-mortar stores, clearly”The e-commerce model has become an inevitable trend!So, what distinguishes our medical devices from these consumer goods? Why can't we leverage the internet to sell them?”

“Moreover, after so many years in the ultrasound industry, I have always felt that our sales efficiency is truly too low; it is time for a breakthrough.”

According to Tian Yuan, the traditional sales model in the ultrasound industry suffers fromComplex Process, Time-Consuming, and High Costsuch pain points, which drain the energy of both buyers and sellers.

Generally, it takes at least 8 to 10 months from the time a hospital’s ultrasound department submits a procurement request to the actual purchase and installation of the equipment. During this period, manufacturers need to deliver demo units and arrange for application specialists to conduct product demonstrations at the hospital, or sometimes hospital procurement staff will visit the manufacturer for on-site evaluations. Throughout the entire process, sales representatives typically make at least four to five trips to the hospital. The combined costs of the demo units, clinical staff involvement, and sales personnel efforts are substantial, often placing a significant financial burden on manufacturers.

However, in addition to low sales efficiency, the multi-tiered agency mechanism inherent in traditional sales models is highly disadvantageous to end customers. Most manufacturers typically rely on agents for distribution, meaning products pass through at least one layer of distributors. Some major brands even engage two to three tiers of agents. Each intermediary extracts a commission, causing the final price paid by end customers to be several times higher after passing through these multiple layers.

Therefore, in the medical device sector, the end-user purchase price is often three to four times the ex-factory price, which is a prevalent issue in the industry today.

So, how does VINNO address these issues with the traditional sales model?

On this occasion,VINNO Creatively Launches a New Medical Device Sales Model—Online Direct Sales.The company adoptsMembership Systemin the form of selling equipment to individuals or distributors who hold resources and projects in non-public hospitals. These people act as intermediaries between VINNO and hospitals, helping VINNO sell its products.

They can become VINNO’s promotional service providers (also known as agents) simply by paying an annual membership fee. If a member generates sales within one year, the membership fee can be directly applied toward payment for goods; if no sales are made, the membership fee will be fully refunded upon expiration of the one-year term, and the cooperation agreement between the member and VINNO will be automatically terminated.

What Are the Benefits of Becoming a Member?

First, highly competitive commission rates.VINNO maintains a strict pricing mechanism, with all products carrying a unified national retail price. Members can purchase ultrasound systems at highly discounted member rates and then resell them to hospitals or other medical institutions at market prices, thereby earning substantial commissions.

Second, we support full refunds with no questions asked within 30 days.To safeguard the interests of its members, VINNO also offers unconditional returns and refunds within one month. Commenting on this policy, Tian Yuan stated, “We are confident enough to offer this because we have full faith in our products and welcome customer trials. We believe that once customers make a purchase, they will continue using our devices, as it is difficult to find products of comparable quality at this price point.”

Moreover, to reassure its members, VINNO has even launched a dedicated Taobao store. Members can place orders directly on Taobao, enabling them to request a refund through the platform if they are dissatisfied with the product within one month.

Third, VINNO also provides paid training for ultrasound scanning technicians, as well as supporting services such as on-site training by application specialists.

What are the advantages of this direct-to-consumer online sales model?

In addition to reducing the number of sales stages, VINNO also aims to conduct all sales activities online to streamline the sales process.

It is reported that VINNO has developed the Xinglinghui app, which employs advanced and efficient remote operation demonstrations and live streaming as auxiliary sales tools to help members conduct sales more effectively. For instance, if a customer wishes to see the performance of VINNO’s ultrasound system in thyroid scanning, VINNO staff will perform the procedure remotely.

This approach eliminates many unnecessary intermediate steps. Manufacturers no longer need to dispatch sales representatives or application specialists to conduct on-site device demonstrations; instead, these can be performed directly within the app. This not only shortens the procurement timeline but also reduces costs associated with demo units, physicians, and sales personnel.

Certainly, if customers remain concerned, they are welcome to conduct an on-site visit to the manufacturer. After all, for products with stringent quality requirements such as medical devices, purchasing through online channels often raises some degree of concern among buyers.

Therefore, the key lies in how to allay such concerns. According to reporters, VINNO is a Chinese manufacturer of high-end color Doppler ultrasound systems, and its self-developed VINNO series of ultrasound devices have been exported to more than 60 countries worldwide. Among these, its high-frequency portable color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic systems stand out as the most prominent, ranking first globally.

However, VINNO used only one product for this online direct sales campaign—VINNO X1。This is a cost-effective, entry-level ultrasound system specifically designed for non-public hospitals and clinics.It not only delivers high-quality imaging but also offers exceptional expandability, supporting more than ten types of transducers for comprehensive visualization of nearly all anatomical regions. Additionally, it features 3D and 4D imaging capabilities.

““I can say without exaggeration that, among ultrasound systems in the same price range, our VINNO X1 is the best in the world.”“Tian Yuan told the reporter with great confidence.

Additionally, VINNO has launched a special promotional campaign for the Double 11 shopping festival. Orders placed before November 30 will receive an immediate discount of RMB 5,000, demonstrating the company’s sincerity and its determination to promote this new business model.

“In fact, our traditional sales channels are already highly mature. The primary reason for this attempt is our expectation that the ultrasound industry will achieve a breakthrough. As for whether we will become pioneers or martyrs, it may be too early to judge now, but change is inevitable in this industry. How can we know if we can succeed without giving it a try?” said Tian Yuan very seriously.