Overview
- dm says it will start a company-operated online pharmacy for over-the-counter medicines this year, fulfilling orders from its new site in Bor, Czech Republic.
- Chief executive Christoph Werner frames the expansion as meeting rising self-care demand and easing pressure on traditional providers.
- The company is piloting in-store health services in selected locations, including AI-supported skin analysis, blood tests and eye screenings with specialist partners.
- Rivals Rossmann and Lidl are reported to be preparing comparable entries into OTC mail-order, according to Handelsblatt.
- Germany’s OTC market is estimated at about €14 billion with roughly a quarter already via mail-order, and the pilots have drawn criticism from pharmacists, opticians and doctors.