Pharmacies chain Kronans Apotek now has a new President. Lars Birkeland leave his post and is replaced today by Stig Tornell, former assortment and marketing director. Stig Tornell’s retail experience comes from a variety of positions in marketing, purchasing, store operations and sales, including the Reitan Sweden AB (Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven), Shell and the ICA Group. Since […]
Archive | Health & cosmetics
Viking Line launches design store on the baltic sea
Viking Line has opened the Baltic Sea’s first specialty store in design, decor and beauty. ”We hope to bring the concept to our other six ships,” says Eva Rehnström, Purchasing Manager Sales and Beauty at Viking Line. (more…)
Ica to open health care clinics at hypermarkets
Ica goes for more qualified health care in connection with its hypermarkets This is done by ICA’s pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat opening Minute Clinics. Three trials are now permanent and three new will be established. “The big advantage is that we simplify for customers. You can check your birthmark at the same time you buy milk, “says ICA’s CEO Per […]
She is Kicks’ new Nordic marketing director
Cosmetics chain Kicks recruits Gina Azaric as Nordic Director of Brand, Marketing and E-commerce. (more…)
Lower margins for Apoteksgruppen
The results for 2015 show an increase in turnover for the entrepreneurial pharmacies in the Swedish pharmacy chain Apoteksgruppen, although the increase is partly due to increased sales of expensive drugs with lower margins. Furthermore, major investments in the newly introduced e-commerce and the chain’s own brand which together with increased investment in new pharmacies […]
New hypermarket to boost Arninge retail park
ICA has been chosen to develop Arninge retail park, the northernmost of Stockholm’s major shopping areas. A new hypermarket will be built next year. (more…)
Matas trials both large and mini formats
Matas, the leading health and cosmetics chain in Denmark trials new concepts. A new flagship with new format opened this week in Copenhagen – and a mini format will soon be launched. (more…)
Stockmann and Lindex Board professional new Chairman of Lyko
Board pro Per Sjödell, formerly H & M manager and Chairman of the Board of Lindex and a Board director of Stockmann, enters as Chairman in beauty chain and online store Lyko. (more…)
No more ICA-pharmacies inside City Gross
As expected, City Gross did not appreciate ICA’s pharmacies in their stores. Now, Apoteket AB takes over eight Apotek Hjärtat shops next to Bergendahls City Gross stores. At the same time Apotek Hjärtatacquires four pharmacies from Apoteket. (more…)
Perfume chain sold to online beauty specialist
Online beauty products retailer Eleven acquires retail chain Parfymeri L. Eleven offers nearly 900 brands in cosmetics, skin care, hair care and fragrance with distribution throughout the Nordic region. In connection with the acquisition of Parfymeri L, Eleven says it will take the next step in their development and make the physical beauty commerce modern. Parfymeri L has […]
Komplett ready to start full scale online pharmacy from January.
Komplett Pharmacy aims to become Norway’s Apotea, the Swedish online success. A change in the law gives Komplett the amittance to sell prescription medicines online. Now the goal is to become Norway’s largest pharmacy. (more…)
Classic record store to host pharmacy
During the first quarter of 2016, Apoteksgruppen will open a new pharmacy in the most central part of Drottninggatan in Stockholm. The premises will be shared with the classic record store Bengans. (more…)
Ica appoints pharmacy specialist as Head of business areas
The management domino in Ica Group continues. Tony Holmberg, appointed as new CEO of ICA Special, will be succeeded by chain manager and former pharmacy specialist Fredrik Söderberg as Head of Business Areas and thus all of ICA profiles, and becomes a member of ICA Sweden Management. (more…)
Increasing operating margins for Apoteket
Apoteket’s net sales during the first three quarters amounted to 14.6 billion SEK, an increase of 7 percent compared with the same period last year. The operating margin also rose, to 2.9 percent. Increased sales in the consumer market, and reduced costs contributed to the improved result. ”I am happy to note that our offering […]
Lyko moves e-commerce into hair dresser salons
The cosmetics and underwear e-commerce site Lyko is silently growing with physical stores with an omnichannel approach. Next to open is in Karlstad in Bergvik shopping center. The store concept is to focus on hair care with hairdressers and retail combined with full e-commerce offer. (more…)
The Body Shop speeds up Swedish expansion with new store concept
The Body Shop continues its expansion in Sweden and is expanding chain with four to six new stores in the fall of 2015. ”The Body Shop has experienced fantastic growth in the Swedish market, but rarely have we had an expansion rate as this. We see a strong demand for ethically produced beauty products and a […]
Stockmann to outsource space to Musti & Mirri – gets pet grooming services
Stockmann believes pet supplies chain Musti & Mirri will serve the Helsinki flagship’s customers better. That makes it the fifth partner to move in as a large shop-in-department store solution, following Expert, Hamleys, Bonnier and Halti. ”The possibility of expanding cooperation with Hamleys, Musti & Mirri and Halti from Helsinki to Stockmann’s other stores during 2016 is being investigated,” […]
Kronans Apotek launched full e-commerce
Kronans Apotek now launches its new e-commerce, making it possible for customers to shop the whole pharmacy assortment, merchandise, non-prescription and prescription drugs. (more…)
Pharmacy chain to open 20 beauty care stores
Swedish pharmacy chain Kronans Apotek launches a new retail concept, Care & Beauty, with a focus on skin and beauty care. The plan is to op 20 stores in Sweden. ”We see great opportunities in the field of skin and beauty care for pharmacies and we know that customers want this development,” says Lars Birkeland, […]
Åhléns to replace CEO
Åhléns will replace its CEO. Gregg Mowins, will leave his post in the autumn. For the time being, the chain has appointed Stefan Danieli, the current CFO, as acting CEO. (more…)
Ica to move to new super head office
Ica has signed a 23 million SEK agreement with Fabege on new premises for its head office, in Arenastaden in Solna. This means three head offices be gathered together in the same building. (more…)
Lower summer sales for Matas
Danish cosmetics giant Matas did not have the best summer. The chain came out of the first financial quarter of 2015/16 with a sales decline compared with the corresponding quarter last year. The revenue 826,5 MDKK is corresponding to a decrease of 0.1 percent compared to the first quarter of 2014/15. According to Matas, the total turnover was […]
Åhlens to close all stores in Norway – Lagerhaus to replace
The largest Scandinavian interior and department store chain, Åhlens, will close all 30 stores in Norway within two years. ”It is the continuing priority of the Åhléns department stores that are the basis for the decision to close down the home furnishing stores in Norway,” says Gregg Mowins, CEO of Åhléns AB. Sister chain Lagerhaus will […]
Sephora’s average Scandinavian customer 20 years younger than expected
Sephora has misjudged the average age of their Scandinavian audience – and need to have shops in city centers where younger customers are. This is the analysis made by the Nordic manager Jenni Österlund (more…)
Increase of expensive drugs affects pharmacy margins negative
The interim report for the Pharmacy chain Apoteksgruppen, shows an increased turnover of pharmacies by 3.9 percent. Despite this, the operating margin decreased from 3.6 percent to 2.8 percent. CEO Eva-Britt Gustafsson says it is due to to the reimbursement model for expensive drugs that primarily affects small pharmacies. (more…)
Apoteket gains market shares on prescription drugs
More Swedish pharmacy consumers choose Apoteket when it comes to prescription drugs. The nine percent increase in sales for the first half of 2015 is primarily due to this. (more…)
Holland & Barrett to enter Scandinavia
Holland & Barrett, the UK health retailer, is looking at Scandinavia – and become a true challenger to Life. ”We aim for 500 stores,” says CEO Peter Aldis. The first 15-20 will be set up in Sweden within six months. (more…)
Landvetter Airport increases store service with pharmacy
Pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat goes for its first airport location. A daily 6-19 open store before security control targets the need for travel products and last minute medicines. ”We have all prerequisites for a successful takeoff, says Jonas Mjöbäck, Communications officer. (more…)
Apotek Hjärtat to divest care and nursing business
Ica Group’s pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat has signed an agreement with ApoEx to sell its care and nursing business to ApoEx for 62 milllion SEK. (more…)
Sephora to Gothenburg city centre
For summer French beauty chain Sephora opens in its third Swedish city – its first store in Gothenburg. ”Our own expectations in the area were high, but interest has been shown to be even greater. Sephoras bet on Kungsgatan is an expression of this and we are very happy for that. Sephora will make a very […]
Eleven.se to take over online beauty store
Eleven.se aquires an online beauty store from Aftonbladet. (more…)
Cura switches to Apotek Hjärtat
Cura at Ica Maxi Lindhagen and Ica Maxi Nacka are the first pharmacies to be rebranded with the Apotek Hjärtat’s new logo. In autumn, all Cura pharmacies will be converted. (more…)
Life enters Denmark to become market leader
Denmark was the the missing link. Now, health food chain Life opens its first Danish shop in August – and rolls out an omnichannel solution across the Nordic region. (more…)
Sephora struggles in Sweden and Denmark
Cosmetics chain Sephora has had a rough start in the Nordics. Every store costs about six million per year to run. In Denmark, 2014 was another year of losses and the company has lost its share capital. And now one of the Danish stores will close. (more…)
Paracetamol ban appealed – and applauded
GlaxoSmithKline’s decision to appeal the stop of paracetamol sales in Swedish grocery stores is applauded by Swedish grocery retailers. ” Maybe we will be in another position now”, says Karin Brynell, CEO of Svensk Dagligvaruhandel. (more…)
Test: They are the best service providers in Norwegian retail
Furniture chain Fagmøbler is the best service provider in Norwegian Retail. This according to Daymaker, who has performed and compared Mystery Shopping visits in 58 retail chains within ten categories. (more…)
Apotek Hjärtat skips the Ica sign at City Gross
When Apotek Hjärtat will supplement the ICA in the sign, eight pharmacies located in competitor City Gross stores are excluded. “We will not change the signs on them,” says Ola Fernvall, Ica. (more…)
”ICA” added to Apotek Hjärtat’s logo
Ica’s making it simple. The pharmacy operations will keep the name Apotek Hjärtat and the new logotype will just have the ICA-logo added. (more…)
Warm weather in March made Swedish consumers spend 7.4 percent more on durables
Swedish retail sales exceeds the forecasts. Early April-Easter pushed the grocery sales already in March, but Swedish consumers spent some extra on furnitures and electronics making sales of durables rise över seven percent. And sales in pharmacies grow in particularly, 17 percent. (more…)
Apoteket increased sales by 11.2 percent
Apoteket remains at the top among Swedish pharmacy chains. Sales in the first quarter of 2015 shows an increase of 11.2 percent. Operating profit increased by 41 million to 122 million, primarily due to enhanced gross profit. (more…)
Ica to change name on Cura – and Apotek Hjärtat?
Ica CEO Per Strömberg today told the annual meeting that there will be a name change in the pharmacy operations brand The merge between Cura and Apotek Hjärtat in Ica group will retain “Hjärtat” in the name. (more…)
Lindex to launch beauty collection
Lindex launches its own brand of beauty products, with a makeup and a body assortment. “Lindex Beauty is a natural extention of Lindex offer for fashion interested women”, says Inger Lundqvist, Design and Buying Manager for Lindex Cosmetics. The makeup assortment will include mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, foundation, powder, concealer, blusher, nailpolish, lipstick and lipgloss. The […]
Swedish pharmacy chain to offer home delivery with morning paper
Lloyds pharmacy chain in Sweden starts offering home delivery within two hours – or medicines with the morning paper for 19 SEK. ”We have designed a form of delivery that takes service within the pharmacy industry to a whole new level,” says Marketing Director, Fredrik Lindblad. (more…)
Strike notice for Rituals’ employees
Retail union Handel gives notice of a strike at three stores in cosmetics chain Rituals in Sweden. The aim is to get the company to sign collective agreements. (more…)
They are Ica’s new pharmacy management
After the acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat and merge with Ica’s Cura pharmacies, the entire management team for Ica Group’s pharmacy operations has now been appointed. (more…)
TOK: Less cut downs than expected at Sokos and Emotion
Turun Osuuskaupassa’s negotiations regarding department store Sokos Wiklund as well as to reduce or close stores in the Emotion-chain, are now finished. (more…)
Vita to expand in Sweden with cosmetics chain acquisition
Norwegian cosmetics chain Vita, who’s considered moving their warehouse shipping to Sweden to avoid Norwegian VAT, now crosses the border. By acquiring Grand Parfymeri, the chain will now operate three stores and online sales in Sweden. (more…)
Ok to Ica’s acquisition of Apotek hjärtat
The Swedish Competition Authority approves Ica’s acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat. This means the Nordic grocery giant will also become a leading pharmacy operator. (more…)
First approval of Ica’s acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat
The first of two approvals has now been obtained as Swedish Medical Products Agency approves Ica’s acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat. The Swedish Medical Products Agency has decided that the notification of significant change, which was submitted to the Agency by reason of Ica Group’s acquisition of Apotek Hjärtat, does not at present require any additional […]
Bellbox and Lyko.se merges
Lyko.se and Bellbox unite to create a Nordic multichannel leader in professional beauty. The combined group is expected to have a turnover of almost 500 million SEK and create in the merger a multi-channel retailer with Bellbox’s store network, consisting of 30 wholly owned stores in Sweden and Norway and Lyko.se, a destination for beauty […]