While pharmacies, like all health professionals, saw their activity impacted by the pandemic, the Pharmabest group continued its growth in 2020. With the arrival of 11 new large pharmacies over the last 12 months, the group confirms the attractiveness of its model which now has 98 pharmacies including two in Reunion.
In a year of major crisis, the Pharmabest group, launched in 2015, announces an increase in its commercial space by 40%. In a deleterious context, pharmacists have not postponed investments in their pharmacies. 16 pharmacies have undertaken or completed work to expand their reception area for customers and 11 of them, were able to complete them within the year, despite the constraints of the pandemic. Objective for the group : have a homogeneous fleet of large pharmacies offering an average commercial surface area of 600 m2, allowing us to have confidential spaces for vaccination procedures or telemedicine interviews and to present a very wide choice of products in all specialties. The opening of the brand's flagship store at the Forum des Halles in Paris, becoming the largest city center pharmacy in the capital with 2050 m2 of surface area, is the emblem of this organic growth strategy.
Pharmabest in Reunion
In 2020, 11 new large pharmacies have joined Pharmabest, demonstrating its attractiveness. The group is strengthening in the Ile de France region with three new pharmacies, in Normandy with two new pharmacies and one pharmacy respectively in Hauts de France, New Aquitaine, Auvergne Rhône Alpes and Grand Est. In the meeting, two pharmacies have joined Pharmabest : The 11th pharmacy in Le Tampon and the Center pharmacy in Saint-André. The brand now has 98 pharmacies, including seven outside the continent. (three in Corsica, two in the West Indies and two in Reunion). This growth plan continues at the start of 2021 with the recent opening of four new large pharmacies (from 500 to 1,800 m2). Au final, the group increased its commercial space by 40% in one year. “The average size of pharmacies has almost tripled in five years, going from 230 m2 in 2016 to 690 m2. These work campaigns show the confidence of pharmacists in the future of their pharmacy and the Pharmabest model.. These investments also contributed to maintaining activity in the trades, positioning these large pharmacies as key economic players in their territory” declares Alain Styl, CEO of Pharmabest.
A year of commitment
In 2020, the unprecedented success of the flu vaccination campaign showed that the French are very concerned about their health. The group sold 200,000 doses of flu vaccines and vaccinated 120,830 people, i.e. 51% more than in 2019. This unprecedented success should not mask the impact of the pandemic on the management of other diseases. Indeed, pharmacists noted a significant drop in prescriptions in pharmacies. “Although remaining open,confinement had a clear impact on the activity of our pharmacies with differences depending on the geographical location of each of them. Campaigns for the sale of protective masks, Covid-19 screening and flu vaccination, deconfinement has allowed the French to visit pharmacies again, and to treat themselves for their other pathologies, without however compensating for the loss of activity in most Pharmabest pharmacies. says David Abenhaim, president of the group. The year 2020 was marked by commitments from the group : battle to obtain surgical and alternative masks and battle on prices to offer quality medical devices at affordable prices. Also a year of solidarity with numerous actions carried out locally by pharmacists to support caregivers and the most vulnerable (donations of creams in Nantes, masks in La Rochelle, etc.). The Group is finally proud to have financially supported two associations whose causes are important to it. : Ruban Rose which leads the Pink October campaign for early detection of breast cancer and NoPlasticInMySea in its NoPlasticChallenges campaign, which aims to reduce the role of plastic in everyday life
Three key figures
Overall turnover : 850 million euros.
Average turnover per pharmacy : 9 million euros.
850,000 subscribers to the Pharmabest loyalty program which provides cosmetic and dietary promotions.
