In Europe, we are witnessing a remarkable transformation in the
digital pharmaceutical sector. Technological breakthroughs and new mail
order regulations have revolutionised the online pharmacy market which
results in exciting opportunities and new challenges. The global
e-pharmacy market could have a size which is twice as big in the next
few years, with an expected growth of 65% in Europe by 2028.
Pharmaceutical companies face crucial strategic considerations in order
to succeed in this dynamic environment.
An overview of Europe's digital pharmaceutical markets
The European e-pharmacy market is diverse and dynamic, having a total
market size of 7.5 billion euros in the eight most important countries.
Germany leads with 3,570 million euros, followed by the UK and France.
Each country includes its own special features and regulations to this
growing sector. Austria, for example, is characterised by the rapid
introduction of digital healthcare solutions, while France is known for
its demanding consumers and advanced digital infrastructure. These
specific characteristics of the countries offer opportunities, but also
challenges for players in the e-pharmacy sector, as each market must be
considered individually and special features should be known.
Europe's most successful e-pharmacies
The analysis of the most successful e-pharmacies in Europe offers
fascinating insights. In Austria, Shop Apotheke AT is the most dominant
online pharmacy, while Dr Max leads this market in the Czech Republic.
France's Atida (Santediscount) and Italy's Farmaè are also leaders in
their markets. These pharmacies are characterised by high sales, a
strong social media presence and a high number of customers. According
to the user data, women make up the majority of e-pharmacy users in most
European countries, with women aged 25-54 being the most active.
Austria: Shop Apotheke AT leads the ranking and
dominates the market with an annual volume of over 100 million euros
and more than 30 million visitors. As a part of the Redcare Pharmacy
Group, it is characterised by a high visibility and social media
presence which is especially the case with Facebook where 70,000 people
follower Shop Apotheke AT.
Czech Republic: Dr Max leads e-pharmacy-market
in this country with an annual volume of more than 140 million euros and
66 million visitors. The pharmacy is known for its big social media
community and offers a 10% discount on average, however the producs on
Dr Max are more expensive than in other top pharmacies.
France: Atida (Santediscount) is the leader
with more than 160 million euros of annual sales and 18 million
visitors. The pharmacy belongs to the the Atida Group and is
characterised by a strong social media presence, particularly on
Facebook and Instagram, and offers an avarage amount of 20% discount for
its products.
Italy: Farmaè holds the top position, although,
with 20% discount on average, it doesn't belong to the cheapest
e-pharmacies in the country. With 23 million visitors per year and a big
Facebook community with 114 followers, it even surpasses Redcare, the
well known online pharmacy.
Poland: With more than 200 million euros in
sales and 122 million visitors, Doz.pl is the undisputed market leader
in Poland. Despite its leading position in sales and visibility,
competitors such as Wapteka and Aptekaolmed have a stronger social media
presence.
Spain: PromoFarma is leading with a volume of
almost 80 million euros and 18 million visitors. As a part of the
DocMorris Group, the pharmacy stands out with a high visibility index in
the SEO-sector and a strong presence on Facebook and Instagram.
UK: With over 50 million visitors, Lloyds
Pharmacy is ahead of Boots and Superdrug when it comes to traffic and
sales in the e-pharmacy sector. In regard to social media as well as the
visibility index, however, it does not quite reach the figures of its
competitors who are more successful in these areas.
The three biggest challenges in pharmaceutical ecommerce
The digital pharma market is full of opportunities, but also
challenges. With this emerging sector in mind, pharmaceutical companies
have to face important strategic considerations. In order to make
informed decisions, it is essential for them to understand the market of
the individual countries as well as the shops they interact with. This
circumstance results in a big amount of data that needs to be collected,
processed and understood. A process that causes a multitude of
challenges. The biggest challenges for pharmaceutical manufacturers are:
1. Loss of time due to manual processes: Time-consuming manual monitoring of product KPIs in all shops
2. Difficult resource allocation: High costs for human resources and little focus on strategic issues
3. High effort for manual data management: Difficult to analyse and interpret large amounts of data
Smile.BI offers solutions to these challenges with the help of
analyses and reports, which are automated by the Smile Analytics
software, which enable efficient monitoring, evaluation and improvement
of all KPIs that are important for a successful pharmaceutical ecommerce
business.
Automated solutions and AI as the key to success
Automated solutions and artificial intelligence are crucial for the
success in pharma e-commerce. Smile Analytics and SmileGPT are advanced
tools that support pharmaceutical companies when it comes to the
accurate monitoring of their market performance, the analysis of
competitors and the improvement of their online presence. These tools
provide quick solutions to complex questions and enable companies to
focus on innovative projects and strategic decisions.
The International E-pharmacies 2024 study series from Smile.BI
Having a look at some European countries shows that the situation of
e-pharmacies currently differs in the individual states. There are major
differences in terms of sales potential, regulatory requirements and
the development status of e-pharmacies. In the "International E-pharmacy
Studies 2024" series of studies, we analyse the UK, France, Italy,
Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria regarding their market
situation and the performance of their best e-pharmacies. We examine
them in terms of key performance indicators such as sales, traffic,
pricing, SEO, social media and user demographics. For each country, the
studies provide an in-depth analysis and practical recommendations for
the daily challenges that pharmaceutical companies face in regard to the
ecommerce. Get an overview with the help of our comprehensive studies.
Growth of the e-pharmacy market: The European
e-pharmacy market is experiencing a significant growth, with an expected
increase of 65% by 2028. Germany, the UK and France are the leaders in
this sector.
Country-specific market characteristics:
Each country shows unique characteristics and differences in their
market volume. While the online sales of prescribed drugs or the
e-prescription are already a standard in some countries, other countries
are still waiting for these characteristics.
Challenges in pharmaceutical e-commerce: Loss
of time due to manual processes, difficult resource allocation and high
expenditure for manual data management are the main problems.
Solutions with the help of Smile.BI: Smile.BI
offers automated analyses and reports that enable time savings and
efficient use of resources in order to overcome these challenges.
Importance of automation and AI: Automated
solutions and artificial intelligence, especially with the help of
tools, such as Smile Analytics and SmileGPT, are crucial for the success
in the digital pharmaceutical market.
Leading online pharmacies in Europe: Successful
e-pharmacies, such as Shop Apotheke AT in Austria and Dr Max in the
Czech Republic, show high sales and a strong presence on social media.
User behaviour: In most European countries, women make up the majority of e-pharmacy users, with a dominant age group of 25 to 54 years.
International e-pharmacies 2024 study series:
The study series provides comprehensive insights into sales, SEO, social
media, pricing, traffic and user data from 7 different countries in
order to support pharmaceutical companies with the optimisation of their
ecommerce strategies.
