18.04.2018 – 07:02

Zur Rose AG

EQS-News: Marked surge in sales: Zur Rose Group grows 30 percent in the first quarter of 2018

EQS Group-News: Zur Rose Group AG / Key word(s): Development of Sales
Marked surge in sales: Zur Rose Group grows 30 percent in the first quarter of
2018

18.04.2018 / 06:45

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press release

Marked surge in sales: Zur Rose Group grows 30 percent in the first quarter of
2018

- Acquisitions and organic growth lead to a sales surge of 91.5 percent in the
German
OTC sector

- Rx business in Germany continues to grow at double-digit rates

- Brand campaign significantly increases the awareness of the pharmacy DocMorris

- Zur Rose Switzerland accelerates growth to 9.3 percent

The Zur Rose Group continued to accelerate the strong sales growth of the
previous year. In the first quarter of 2018, Group sales increased by 29.9
percent year-on-year (23.8 percent in local currency terms) to CHF 297.6
million. Organic growth in local currency was 11.0 percent. Both the Swiss
market and the Germany segment contributed to the growth spurt.

Sales in Germany grew by 51.4 percent (39.0 percent in local currency terms) to
CHF 169.9 million or EUR 145.8 million. The foreign share reached a new high of
57 percent. The main driver was once again the over-the-counter (OTC) business,
where sales increased by 91.5 percent (75.9 percent in local currency terms).
The reasons for this development were strong organic growth, the massive
acquisition of new customers and the first-time consolidation of Eurapon and
Vitalsana. There was also a positive development in the prescription drug
business (Rx), which achieved an increase of 20.6 percent (10.7 percent in local
currency terms). Particularly pleasing is the brand awareness of DocMorris,
which has increased to 66 percent in Germany. The all-time high established by
the GfK survey shows that the nationwide brand campaign is successful. The Group
thus has by far the strongest brand in the drugs mail order business.

The positive performance of the 2017 financial year also continued in
Switzerland. Despite regulatory price reductions, Zur Rose increased its sales
significantly by 9.3 percent to CHF 127.7 million in the first quarter of 2018.
In the doctors' segment, thanks to good overall new customer development, sales
rose 6.7 percent, while with an increase in sales of 12.1 percent, the retail
business continued to benefit from the specialty care business and the
successful launch of the omni-channel strategy with the first inpatient
pharmacies.

 

Sales figures (unaudited)

January to March, in 1000 CHF          1.1.-31.3.2018 1.1.-31.3.2017 Change

Zur Rose Group                         297,633        229,120        29.9%

in local currency                                                    23.8%

Operating Segment Switzerland          127,749        116,883        9.3%

B2B                                    94,484         88,569         6.7%

B2C                                    31,746         28,314         12.1%

BlueCare(1)                            1,519          n.a.           n.a.

Operating Segment Germany              169,884        112,237        51.4%

Rx                                     76,650         63,553         20.6%

OTC                                    93,234         48,684         91.5%

Operating Segment Germany, in 1000 EUR 145,822        104'910        39.0%

Rx                                     65,794         59,419         10.7%

OTC                                    80,028         45,491         75.9%

1) consolidated as of 1 May 2017

Investor and analyst contact
Marcel Ziwica, Chief Financial Officer
e-mail:  ir@zurrose.com, telephone: +41 52 724 00 64

Media contact
Lisa Lüthi, Head of Corporate Communications
e-mail:  lisa.luethi@zurrose.com, telephone: +41 52 724 08 14

Agenda
24 May 2018 Annual General Meeting
15 August 2018 Half-year report (analyst and media conference)
24 October 2018 Q3 Trading Update

Zur Rose Group

Operating under the Zur Rose and DocMorris brands, the Swiss-based Zur Rose
Group is Europe's leading online pharmacy and one of Switzerland's foremost
wholesale suppliers to medical doctors. Through its business model, it helps to
ensure safe, reliable and high-quality pharmaceutical care, while also excelling
in developing innovative medicines management services to increase the
effectiveness of the medication process. This creation of added value, the
strong focus on patients and the commitment to supply medication at low cost for
the benefit of payors and patients make the Group an important strategic partner
for all healthcare stakeholders.

The Zur Rose Group is headquartered in Frauenfeld, from where it also serves the
Swiss market. Customers in Germany and Austria are primarily supplied from
Heerlen (NL). Furthermore, the Group holds a majority interest in BlueCare in
Winterthur, the leading provider of networking systems in the Swiss healthcare
market. Employing more than 1000 people at its various locations, Zur Rose Group
generated revenue of CHF 983 million in 2017. Zur Rose Group AG's shares (ticker
symbol ROSE, Swiss security no. 4261528, ISIN CH0042615283) are traded on SIX
Swiss Exchange. More information at zurrosegroup.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Corporate News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Language: English

Company:  Zur Rose Group AG

          Walzmühlestrasse 60

          8500 Frauenfeld

          Switzerland

Phone:    +41 52 724 08 14

Internet: www.zurrosegroup.com

ISIN:     CH0199729366, CH0042615283

Listed:   SIX Swiss Exchange



 

End of News EQS Group News Service

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

675443  18.04.2018