Forellen Apotheke

What Forellen Apotheke does

Forellen Apotheke is an independent retail pharmacy based in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Germany, serving the local community and surrounding catchment with prescription dispensing, over-the-counter medications, and pharmacy-only products. The business operates from a physical storefront under the management of pharmacist Christoph Claudi and complements it with an increasingly digital service stack: an online portal through the Ventalis pharmacy network, a WhatsApp-based ordering channel branded Forellen-Post, integration with the Meine Apotheke mobile app, and electronic prescription (E-Rezept) processing via CardLink. A 24-hour automated pickup machine (Abholautomat) extends collection outside staffed hours, and a same-day delivery capability rounds out the last-mile offering.

The core product portfolio is standard for a German Apotheke: prescription medications reimbursed via statutory health insurance, OTC products, parapharmacy items, and supplementary services such as measurement and consultation. A partnership with Cannalea adds medical cannabis as a regulated specialty category, broadening the therapeutic mix beyond conventional dispensing. The technology stack is essentially integration-oriented rather than proprietary: it layers standard pharmacy software, third-party app and network integrations, and messaging APIs onto a traditional dispensing operation.

The business model is classic retail pharmacy: dispensing margin on reimbursed prescriptions plus retail margin on OTC and self-pay products, with revenue distributed across a long tail of individual consumers. Reimbursement flows through German Krankenkassen under regulated pricing. The Cannalea line introduces a higher-margin specialty vertical, while the digital channels (online portal, WhatsApp, app, pickup automaton) are primarily defensive and convenience-oriented, designed to retain local share against larger chains and online pharmacies rather than to fundamentally change the revenue mechanics.

Name

Forellen Apotheke

Legal name

Forellen Apotheke

Website

https://forellen-apo-seelscheid.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forellen Apotheke is an independent retail pharmacy in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Germany, dispensing prescriptions and OTC products via a physical store, online portal, WhatsApp, mobile app, and a 24-hour pickup machine, with a Cannalea medical cannabis partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Pharmacy

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (45611), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

SIC

Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Pharmacy Omnichannel (CRAFAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pharmacy-Led Health & Wellness Discount Retail (CRAEAHAD), Pharmacy & Health Essentials Delivery (CRAFAFAI)

Keywords

• Retail pharmacy services
• Pharmaceutical products
• Online pharmacy
• Medical equipment supply
• Healthcare consultations

Headquarters

HQ city

Neunkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Sale of prescription and non-prescription medications, healthcare products, medical devices, cosmetics, and wellness items through both physical pharmacy and online store. Revenue generated from Apothekenverkaufspreis (AVP) for non-prescription items and insurance-billed prescriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Forellen Apotheke operates a physical retail pharmacy in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Germany, dispensing prescription and over-the-counter medications, medical devices, cosmetics, and wellness products. The pharmacy supplements its in-store operations with an online shop (Ventalis portal), electronic prescription handling, a 24-hour automated pickup machine, a local delivery service (Botendienst), and a dedicated medical cannabis channel through partner platform Cannalea.

Product overview

Forellen Apotheke is an online pharmacy operating on the Ventalis Portal platform, offering a comprehensive e-commerce presence for medications and health products. The product portfolio centers on their online pharmacy with integrated prescription fulfillment via e-Rezept, supported by multiple digital touchpoints including a mobile app ('Meine Apotheke'), WhatsApp messaging ('Forellen-Post'), 24-hour pickup machines, and same-day delivery service. The pharmacy stocks a wide range of products across categories including medications (Arzneimittel), medical devices, homeopathic remedies, cosmetics (Eucerin, La Roche-Posay, Vichy, Caudalie), diabetes supplies, mother & child products, and wellness items. Medical cannabis products are available through the Cannalea partner platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ventalis Portal: E-commerce portal platform used by the pharmacy for online ordering and customer services.
• Forellen-Post

Products and services

• Online Pharmacy Shop (Ventalis Online-Shop) Digital online pharmacy storefront where customers can browse and order prescription and over-the-counter medications, medical devices, cosmetics, and wellness products for home delivery, in-store pickup at the 24-hour terminal, or collection at the counter. Targeted at individual consumers in and around Neunkirchen-Seelscheid.
• Botendienst (Local Delivery Service) Same-day or next-day home delivery service that brings ordered medications and pharmacy products directly to customers' homes within the local Neunkirchen-Seelscheid service area. Orders placed before 2 PM are delivered the same day. Targeted at local consumers who cannot or prefer not to visit the pharmacy in person.
• Medical Cannabis via Cannalea Medical cannabis products supplied through a dedicated partner platform (Cannalea) for qualifying patients with valid prescriptions. Targeted at patients requiring cannabis-based medical treatment served through the pharmacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 60% on non-prescription items compared to manufacturer recommended prices

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ventalis (Portal Operator)coreTechnology or IntegrationVentalis provides the e-commerce portal platform (Ventalis Portal) powering Forellen Apotheke's online store, including product catalog management, order processing, customer accounts, and prescription handling functionality.
• CannaleaminorOthersCannalea is a separate medical cannabis service/platform referenced on Forellen Apotheke's website, suggesting a partnership or referral relationship for medical cannabis products.
• Ventalis Pharmacy NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliation with Ventalis pharmacy network including Burg Apotheke (Much), Bären Apotheke (Bergisch Gladbach), Kranich Apotheke (Neukirchen-Vluyn), Löwen Apotheke (Solingen), and other ventalis locations, suggesting network collaboration for shared services or purchasing.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Apotal: German online pharmacy offering prescription and OTC products with discount positioning. Comparable assortment and digital-first model, with the marketing scale to undercut small local pharmacies on price perception.
• DocMorris: Major German/European online pharmacy with strong prescription and OTC mail-order business. Competes head-to-head with Forellen on price, assortment, and e-prescription convenience, with brand recognition an order of magnitude greater.
• Medpex: German online pharmacy with broad OTC, prescription, and cosmetics assortment. Competes on price, delivery speed, and digital convenience — directly comparable on the dimensions where Forellen differentiates via 24h pickup and Botendienst.
• Sanicare: Established German mail-order pharmacy focused on repeat prescriptions and OTC. Directly competes with Forellen's online and delivery proposition, especially for chronic-disease patients managing multiple medications.
• Shop Apotheke: One of Europe's largest online pharmacies, headquartered in the Netherlands and operating across Germany. Directly comparable to Forellen's OTC assortment, e-prescription capabilities, and discount pricing, but at national scale with vastly larger fulfillment infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• DocMorris (Zur Rose Group): Parent entity of the DocMorris German pharmacy business, operating across multiple European markets. Comparable on regulatory exposure, e-prescription strategy, and German OTC economics; broader but adjacent scope.
• EasyApotheke: German pharmacy chain with both physical stores and online presence, offering discount OTC pricing. Comparable assortment and pricing model, but operates at multi-site scale versus Forellen's single location.
• dm drogerie markt: Germany's largest drugstore chain with extensive OTC, cosmetics, and wellness assortment. Competes with Forellen's cosmetics, wellness, and OTC categories from a multi-thousand-store footprint and a strong private-label program.
• Rossmann: Major German drugstore chain offering OTC medications, cosmetics, and health products at competitive prices. Comparable on assortment and value positioning, though limited prescription dispensing vs. Forellen's full Apotheke license.

Others

• Ventalis (Pharmacy Network / Portal Operator): Network and e-commerce platform provider powering Forellen's online store and connecting affiliated Apotheken. Included as an ecosystem peer given its role as infrastructure partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forellen Apotheke