Industries in Focus: Retail – Pharmacies

Since pharmacies, like food retailers, have not been affected by coronavirus-related closures at any time, the impact on the business situation has so far been less pronounced than in many other retail sectors. However, in 2020, there were increased supply shortages of medicines as well as changes in demand patterns. The coronavirus crisis is accelerating the trend toward online shopping at the expense of brick-and-mortar options. Further challenges for the industry are the planned introduction of the e-prescription and the question of succession, which is often not easy to resolve.