Germany: Rossmann could open up to 500 new stores

Health & beauty retailer Rossmann could be set to open up to 500 new locations in Germany, according to an article in Die Welt, taking the number of stores in the company’s network to as many as 2,000.

The new openings would reportedly be mostly in southern Germany, where the retailer does not currently have a significant presence. Rossmann’s closest competitor, DM, has around 1,800 stores at present and generates annual sales of around €7 billion ($7.7 billion), compared to Rossmann’s €5.4 billion ($5.9 billion), according to T-Online.

Until a couple of years ago there is said to have been an unofficial agreement between both companies, with Rossmann present in the north and east of Germany but not competing with Rossmann in the south. Now free from this agreement, Rossmann is looking to invest in a larger presence further south.

Rossmann’s proposed domestic expansion follows a determined effort to enter a number of overseas markets, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Albania.

Source: Die Welt / T-Online