Pilulka sees turnover fall by third in 2024 despite transformation

Prague, Jan 27 (CTK) - Czech pharmacy group Pilulka Lekarny saw its turnover fall by 36 percent year-on-year to Kc1.35bn in 2024, despite last year's major transformation which included reducing the number of staff and suppliers, according to the preliminary unaudited data in a firm's report for investors published today.

The company did not disclose last year's profit, but in 2023, it made a loss of Kc175.9m.

According to the company, while the pharmacy network was stable last year, the number of orders distributed by its e-shop in the Czech Republic and Slovakia fell by two-fifths year-on-year to around 720,000. The average order value also fell by 6 percent to Kc1,400.

Pilulka Lekarny halved marketing costs last year and reduced logistics and transport costs by around 30 percent. The company has also paid most of its overdue supplier invoices and agreed with suppliers on the timing of payment of the remaining unpaid invoices.

"After the changes, the company would be profitable on an EBITDA and cash flow basis even with the size of sales achieved in 2024," Pilulka said in its report to investors.

For this year, the management is planning conservative sales growth.

Pharmacy group Pilulka Lekarny was bought by Tomas Cupr, founder of the food delivery service Rohlik.cz, through the Growth Expert company last year.

Pilulka operates its own and partner brick-and-mortar pharmacies in the Czech Republic and an online store, which in addition to medicines and dietary supplements also offers cosmetics, drugstores and some food products.

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