“The pharmacy is a dynamic channel that thrives on foot traffic and customer activity at the point of sale,” begins Nicolas Grélaud. The decline in medical services in France is driving consumers to turn increasingly to their pharmacists for everyday needs. “The range of responsibilities for this profession is expanding,” he notes.
“Vaccinations, prenatal care, and monitoring of chronic conditions—pharmacies are taking on an increasing share of community healthcare.”

The number of pharmacies is declining, but this trend is not necessarily bad news. “They are closing to make way for spaces that are increasingly structured and equipped to handle these new responsibilities.”
Three pharmacy models coexist today: XXL pharmacies, mid-sized pharmacies, and small neighborhood pharmacies.

Beauty and hygiene, a growth driver for pharmacies

In the beauty sector, the numbers speak for themselves. “We can say today that beauty and hygiene products are a pillar of the pharmacy industry,” says Nicolas Grélaud.

The cosmetics segment is worth 3 billion euros, with 6% growth. It accounts for 6% of the total margin of a French pharmacy on average, and up to 25% in some pharmacies. “We’ve generated 310 million euros in three years. That’s colossal.”
Since the …