Croatia's drug retail market opens up

The leading retail chain in Croatia, Konzum, has signed a cooperation contract to establish pharmacy counters in supermarkets. The parent  company Agrokor signed a deal with Atlantica Grupa as the operating  company for the pharmacy chain Farmacija. Initially, five Konzum stores  are to be expanded to include Farmacija pharmacies or over-the-counter  shops. According to a report by Pharma Adhoc, further cooperation  opportunities are being explored.

The Farmacija brand was launched a year ago by Atlantica and has 34  outlets, following several acquisitions, with turnover of 35.0 million  euros ($47.7 million). The firm has also opened branches in neighboring  Bosnia-Herzegovina. Konzum operates 650 stores with 600,000 daily  customers.

Pharma Adhoc reports that OTC products had only been available in  Croatian pharmacies until April last year, but then Germany-based dm  drugstore chain began offering about 700 non-prescription products and  dietary supplements in its outlets.