Dm drugstore market responds to changes in customer behavior

Less frequent but more extensive shopping, less in the city and at railroad stations, more in specialist store centers. The drugstore company dm also tracks the changes in the shopping behavior of many people during the coronavirus pandemic.

It remains to be seen whether consequences will follow for the branch network, said dm boss christoph werner on thursday at the presentation of the annual figures in karlsruhe. In the future, the needs of customers will "in principle also be met with fewer stationary branches".

In the city centers, in shopping malls and at railroad stations, the number of customers is lower than before the pandemic. "This is clearly noticeable."Corona is the accelerator of a trend that has already existed before. It’s clear: "you have to be where the customers are."The company has responded to the pandemic by expanding its online business and express pick-up service.

The industry leader among german drugstores, headquartered in karlsruhe, also continued to grow during the corona period. However, the increase in sales in fiscal year 2019/20 (30. September) at 2.9 percent to 11.52 billion euros, significantly lower than in the previous year (4.6 percent). Growth abroad was stronger at 5.3 percent than in germany at 2.1 percent. Without passing on the reduction in value-added tax, gross sales in germany had increased by around 3.0 percent, said werner. Dm does not disclose profit figures. The company is in the black and continues to invest, stressed werner.

The number of branches in germany grew by 27 to 2024. In total, there are 3765 in europe, 97 more than in the previous year. The company employs a good 62,600 people, an increase of more than 500 compared to the previous year. The number of employees in germany fell by just over 200 to 40,436

Werner also announced further growth and more branches for the next year. This could lead to relocations. The company is always a tenant with its properties and can therefore react flexibly.

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