“Help Net has invested EUR12 million in the expansion of the pharmacy chain in the past three years, as well as in additional business projects that help strengthen the company’s position on the market,” Help Net officials told ZF.
The strategy pursued by large companies has been to expand by acquiring licenses of independent pharmacies or of other major players, like Help Net did in 2015 when it bought 19 Centrofarm pharmacies for a more aggressive presence in shopping centers.
The leading pharmacy chain in Romania is Catena, followed by Sensiblu, Dona, Help Net and Ropharma. The top five players by revenue account for 22% of the more than 7,800 retail pharmacy market, according to the National Statistics institute data. There are also regional chains with up to 50 pharmacies and independent operators with one or two pharmacies in Romania.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)