Boots
United Kingdom
Non-European Parent Company
Boots is a British health, wellness and beauty retailer with its head office in Beeston, Nottinghamshire. John Boot opened a herbalist store at 6 Goose Gate in Nottingham in 1849 to offer...
European Drugstores
dm-drogerie markt
Germany
EU
dm-drogerie markt is a drugstore chain from Karlsruhe in Germany. Götz W. Werner founded it there in 1973. In the 2024/2025 financial year (ending 30 September 2025), dm reported 4,189 stores across...
Etos
Netherlands
EU
Etos is a Dutch drugstore chain with its head office in Amsterdam. Philips founded it in 1919 as a grocery and drugstore business, and it has been a drugstore for customers for...
Kruidvat
Netherlands
EU
Non-European Parent Company
Kruidvat is a Dutch drugstore chain founded in 1975 with its head office in Renswoude. It sells care, beauty, health and household products at low prices, with the slogan "always surprising, always...
Matas
Denmark
EU
Matas is a Danish health and beauty retailer founded in 1949 with its head office in Allerød. It is the main brand of Matas Group, which also owns the Swedish chain KICKS,...
Müller
Germany
EU
Müller is a German retail chain from Ulm that combines a drugstore with perfumery, toys, stationery, multimedia and household goods. The hairdresser Erwin Müller founded the company in Ulm in 1953, and...
ROSSMANN
Germany
EU
ROSSMANN is a German drugstore chain based in Burgwedel near Hanover. Dirk Roßmann opened the first self-service drugstore in Germany in 1972. According to the company's website (2026), the Dirk Rossmann GmbH...
Superdrug
United Kingdom
Non-European Parent Company
Superdrug is a British health and beauty retailer. Ronald and Peter Goldstein founded it in 1964, and its head office is in Croydon. According to the company's history page, the Superdrug estate...
Did we miss one? Feel free to submit a suggestion!
Submit SuggestionDrugstores sell care and beauty products, cleaning items and health goods, and in some countries pharmacies are part of the shop. This page lists drugstore chains with their headquarters in Europe, from German market leaders to British and Nordic chains. Some of them belong to non-European owners, and these are marked on each product page.
European drugstore chains at a glance
| Chain | Country | Presence (company data) | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| dm | Germany | 4,189 stores in 14 countries (2024/25) | privately held (GmbH + Co. KG) |
| ROSSMANN | Germany | 4,244 stores (2026) | Roßmann family, A.S. Watson 40 % |
| Müller | Germany | about 900 stores in 9 countries | Erwin Müller |
| Kruidvat | Netherlands | almost 1,300 stores in NL and BE | A.S. Watson (Hong Kong), flagged |
| Boots | United Kingdom | over 1,800 stores | Sycamore Partners (USA), flagged |
| Superdrug | United Kingdom | about 790 stores plus Ireland | A.S. Watson (Hong Kong), flagged |
| Etos | Netherlands | Netherlands | Ahold Delhaize |
| Matas | Denmark | 264 Matas stores, group 500 (Mar 2026) | listed company |
Who owns what
A.S. Watson, the retail arm of CK Hutchison in Hong Kong, owns Kruidvat and Superdrug and holds 40 percent of ROSSMANN. Because that stake is below half, ROSSMANN counts as European, while Kruidvat and Superdrug carry the flag. Boots was taken private by Sycamore Partners in 2025, a US private equity firm. dm, Müller, Etos and Matas have no non-European parent.
What to know when comparing
Assortments differ. Müller is closer to a department store, with toys and stationery. dm and ROSSMANN focus on drugstore goods and own brands. Pharmacy services depend on national rules, so a German drugstore cannot dispense prescription medicine, while Boots in the UK has pharmacies in many of its stores.
What is missing
US chains such as Walgreens and CVS do not operate in continental Europe, and the Walgreens link to Boots has ended. Perfume shops are listed separately under perfumeries.