Leading drugstores in the Netherlands 2020, by number of stores

Kruidvat was by far the largest drugstore chain in the Netherlands in 2020, operating with nearly 1,000 stores in all parts of the country. Runner-up Etos had roughly half the amount of locations, whereas the drugstore chains DA, Trekpleister, and Holland&Barrett were the only others with more than 200 stores. Kruidvat’s numbers are especially impressive when looking at the overall retail market in the Netherlands. In fact, they are the largest retail chain overall, followed closely by supermarkets Albert Heijn and Jumbo.

Drugstores in the Netherlands

Drugstores such as Kruidvat offer a large variety of products. Generally found in every shopping area, Dutch drugstores offer a diverse selection of cosmetics, body care products, medicines, and household items. Some larger stores also include food and (small) furniture sections. Partly because of this product variety, the drugstore sector has managed to maintain a strong presence in cities and towns throughout the Netherlands, comprising of approximately 3,000 stores. As such, the brick-and-mortar retail structure for this industry has persisted despite the high development of e-commerce. In fact, the combined revenue of drugstores has been increasing almost every year since 2008.

Kruidvat

The Netherland’s most well-known drugstore chain is not operating independently. The brand is part of the A.S. Watson Group, which also manages drugstore chain Trekpleister and the largest perfumery chain in Belgium, Ici Paris XL, among others. Aside from being the leading drugstore chain in the Netherlands, Kruidvat is also the biggest in Belgium, meaning that Kruidvat and the A.S. Watson Group have a strong grip on the health and pharma market in the Benelux.