The drugstore chain dm has once again reported significant growth in Austria. Sales increased by 16.5 per cent in the dm Group Austria and associated countries. At 5.25 billion euros, sales exceeded the five billion mark for the first time. An average of 222,000 purchases were made per day in the more than 380 shops. This is 15,000 more purchases per day than in the same period last year. The number of items purchased at dm rose by 6.5 per cent, according to the company. At the same time, the company stepped up its investments in digital platforms and services, shop design, sustainable concepts and employees. More than 50 million euros were invested in the shop network, logistics, IT systems and the dm headquarters "Dialogicum" near Salzburg.

General inflation halved

The drugstore chain once again invested in its price positioning on the market. At 1.8 per cent, the price development in the dm shopping basket was well below general inflation and price developments in the food and drugstore sector. The company passed on procurement benefits from manufacturers and efficiency gains to customers in three waves of price reductions. At 3.8 per cent, general inflation was more than twice as high in the same period.

Enormous digital growth

The company philosophy is to offer the best prices and design the most aesthetically pleasing shops, emphasised the Managing Director of the Austrian dm Group, Martin Engelmann. "It also means not necessarily having the largest range, but the best curated and most relevant range." One milestone is the merging of the IT systems of all 14 dm countries into a common single-client system: this means that the data for all countries is recorded in one place. Analyses for the entire dm Group are available at the touch of a button. In Austria alone, 274,000 people used the "My dm app" at least once a month - more than twice as many as in the previous year.

Source: dm