Customers are increasingly going to drugstores to buy groceries.

If you look at the shopping baskets of customers at dm, Rossmann, or Müller, you'll notice that they're no longer just filled with shower gel, deodorant, diapers, or laundry detergent. Ravioli, rolls, soup, or olive oil are increasingly being found there—products that were once only purchased at supermarkets or discount stores.

According to a study by the market research firm YouGov, between the beginning of April 2024 and the end of March 2025, one in five euros spent in drugstores was spent on groceries. Their share of sales has increased from 16.4 to 20.6 percent over the past five years. Revenues increased by two-thirds to 2.8 billion euros.

According to YouGov, dm and other retailers now generate almost half of their food sales from organic products. In Germany, one in five euros is spent on organic food—excluding fresh produce and baby food—in drugstores.

Since the pandemic, drugstores have expanded their food offerings. Today, they have established themselves as a permanent destination for shopping—especially in the organic and health categories. These ranges have recently gained significant importance. "There are more and more customers who only buy groceries and not traditional drugstore items," says YouGov retail expert Bettina Arneth. If you exclude fresh produce, drugstores have somewhat displaced traditional organic stores.

Another reason for the success is the shopping experience. "From conversations with consumers, we know that supermarkets and discount stores are often hectic. Drugstores are less stressful; the atmosphere is different," says Arneth. Shopping is more fun, customers have more space, and they feel more comfortable.

The market research consultancy Mafowerk also investigated the topic. A representative survey of around 1,000 consumers was conducted. More than one in four (28 percent) buys groceries at a drugstore once a week, and another 9 percent do so several times. For 42 percent, food is the main reason for shopping there. The proportion is higher among vegetarians and customers under 30. 47 percent of respondents only buy certain nutritional products at drugstores. According to the survey, the dm chain has the most grocery shoppers.

The drugstores' offerings range from breakfast products like muesli and spreads to coffee, tea, and milk alternatives, as well as pasta, bulgur, and lentils, meat substitutes, and ready meals. They also offer baking ingredients, snacks like nuts, sweets, drinks like smoothies and oat milk, and sports nutrition like protein bars. dm claims to offer more than 1,500 nutritional products; Rossmann and Müller do not provide figures.

However, not everything you can find in a supermarket can be found in a drugstore. Fresh items like fruit and vegetables, as well as sausage, cheese, yogurt, meat, and frozen products, are missing. Eva Stüber, a member of the management team at the Cologne Retail Research Institute (IFH), doesn't see this as a disadvantage. "People shop at multiple locations. On average, they shop at 3.1 locations. In drugstores, they can cover their basic needs with dry goods, while fresh items are purchased elsewhere."

Figures from market research firm NIQ show that a reduced range is no obstacle. From January to April 2025, drugstores saw their sales of organic food increase by almost 21 percent compared to the same period last year – significantly more than supermarkets (+6.6) and discounters (+7.6). The number of households purchasing organic products from drugstores was recently almost 10 percent higher. "It's not just idealists who buy organic these days," says Thomas Montiel Castro, organic expert at NIQ. City dwellers are buying more often.

There's little indication that this trend will end anytime soon. A study published in 2024 by retail expert Stüber sees still great potential for organic food. Sales are expected to continue to rise significantly until 2030. Drugstores are expected to benefit the most, relatively speaking. According to expert Stüber, they are increasingly competing with food retailers: "Drugstores have become local suppliers and enjoy a high level of trust, even when it comes to food." However, she doesn't believe they will become small supermarkets.

The drugstore chain dm has no plans to add fresh food to its product range. "We don't assume that our customers expect fresh produce like fruit and vegetables, refrigerated counters, or frozen foods in a drugstore," says Sebastian Bayer, dm's Marketing Director. There is also a lack of space for an expanded product range.

The major chain stores dm, Rossmann, and Müller still want to further expand their food product range, as the companies explained upon request. dm has other plans as well. Customers are expected to be able to purchase over-the-counter medications such as painkillers online in the second half of the year.

YouGov expert Arneth warns: "Drugstores need to be careful not to overwhelm customers with new product ranges. At some point, more is not more." The order and structure in the store must not be lost.