who-cares

What who-cares does

who-cares is a privately held Dutch B2B media platform serving the self-care retail (drogisterij) industry in the Netherlands. Founded around 2014 and headquartered in Nijmegen, the company operates a multi-channel trade publication that combines a print magazine (five editions per year), the who-cares.nl news website, email newsletters, and social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, X), supplemented by an annual industry event (Samen Sterker, co-organised with KNDB) and four award programmes (KOMETEN, METEOREN, NOVA and AURORA). The platform is targeted at certified drogisters, pharmacies, retail/branch organisations and self-care product suppliers, with print distribution reaching approximately 50% of all certified drogisters in the Netherlands, about one-third to pharmacies, and the balance to industry bodies.

The underlying technology is conventional: a WordPress-hosted content site, an email newsletter system, and print production/distribution logistics, with no proprietary software, AI capabilities, or platform integrations disclosed. The data backbone of the awards programmes relies on a market-research partnership with Circana (formerly IRI Nederland), while other strategic partners — KNDB, CBD (Centraal Bureau Drogisterijbedrijven), Vakcentrum, CBG and Bijwerkingencentrum Lareb — provide editorial, regulatory and event collaboration. Sub-brands include "mind the drug store" (a shelf-level retail execution column), and the award sub-brands listed above.

who-cares monetises through three principal streams: (i) advertising and sponsored content across newsletter, social, print and website placements sold primarily to self-care product manufacturers and brand owners (e.g., PK Benelux, Cooper Consumer Health, Perrigo Nederland, Haleon, Bayer Consumer Health); (ii) recurring subscriptions to the print magazine and digital newsletters, with circulation built on certified-drogister and pharmacy distribution; and (iii) event and awards-related professional services revenue, including the Samen Sterker event and award ceremonies. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company operates with 11–50 employees, has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and is led by co-publisher Joost Heessels, with author/journalist Antal Giesbers on the editorial team.

Name

who-cares

Legal name

Who Cares

Website

https://who-cares.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

who-cares is a privately held Dutch B2B media platform serving the self-care retail (drogisterij) industry, combining a print magazine, news website, newsletters, the Samen Sterker event, and four annual award programmes for certified retailers, pharmacies and suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media Publishing

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Life Sciences PR (BPAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer & Lifestyle PR (MPAAADAB)

Keywords

• Trade media publishing
• Self-care retail news
• B2B industry magazine
• Drugstore trade press
• Retail industry events

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijmegen, Gelderland

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Marketing Services: The platform offers advertising opportunities across its newsletter, social media, print magazine, and website. Businesses can advertise to reach self-care retailers and industry professionals.
2. Magazine Subscriptions and Distribution: The print magazine who-cares is distributed to certified drogisters (approximately 50% of distribution), pharmacies (about one-third), and remaining to retail and industry organizations in relevant sectors including food retail.
3. Event Organization: who-cares organizes events such as the Samen Sterker event with KNDB, including awards ceremonies (KOMETEN, METEOREN, NOVA, AURORA awards) and professional workshops.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

who-cares is a Dutch B2B media platform that informs and inspires self-care retailers (drogisterijen) and pharmacies through a print trade magazine (about five editions per year), the who-cares.nl news website, regular newsletters, and industry events. It also generates revenue by offering advertising and marketing services to consumer health brands and suppliers that want to reach this professional retail audience.

Product overview

who-cares is a Dutch self-care retail industry platform consisting of multiple components: a print magazine (published approximately five times yearly), the who-cares.nl news website, email newsletters, and industry events. The platform informs and inspires self-care retailers to build and deepen their role as self-care specialists. The core offering is editorial content focused on knowledge, expertise, and advisory services for the industry. Additionally, who-cares organizes the annual Samen Sterker event in partnership with KNDB, and issues the KOMETEN, METEOREN, NOVA, and AURORA awards recognizing top-performing brands and product introductions based on Circana market data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mind the drug store: A column/series within who-cares focusing on retail execution, shelf layout, and shopper behavior analysis in drugstores.
• KOMETEN Awards
• METEOREN Awards
• NOVA Award
• AURORA Awards
• Samen Sterker

Products and services

• who-cares Magazine A Dutch-language print trade magazine published approximately five times per year for certified drogisterijen (self-care drugstores), pharmacies, and retail and branch organizations in the Netherlands. Digital versions are also made available through the who-cares.nl website.
• who-cares.nl News Website The news and content website for the who-cares platform, featuring industry news, consumer and lifestyle trends, branch news, store operations, opinion pieces, and event coverage for the Dutch self-care retail sector.
• who-cares Nieuwsbrieven (Email Newsletters) Regular email newsletters that deliver the latest industry news, trend coverage, and editorial updates to subscribers in the Dutch self-care retail industry.
• Samen Sterker Event An annual industry event organized jointly by KNDB and who-cares that brings together drogisterijen owners, retail organizations, and suppliers for networking, professional workshops, lectures, and the who-cares awards ceremony.
• who-cares Awards (KOMETEN, METEOREN, NOVA, AURORA) Annual industry awards recognizing top-performing brands and product introductions in the Dutch self-care retail market. KOMETEN honor fastest-growing brands by turnover and sales volume, METEOREN recognize best product introductions by average turnover or sales volume, NOVA is a readers' choice award voted on by who-cares readers and KNDB members, and AURORA awards are presented alongside the other categories at the Samen Sterker event.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64 million health advisories given by Dutch drogisterijen per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KNDB (Koninklijke Nederlandse Drogisterij Bond)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026KNDB and who-cares jointly organize the annual Samen Sterker event, combining the KNDB General Members' Meeting with the who-cares awards ceremonies (KOMETEN, METEOREN, NOVA, AURORA) plus professional development workshops and networking opportunities. This is their fourth consecutive year of collaboration.
• CircanacoreOthersCircana (formerly IRI Nederland) provides market data that forms the basis for the KOMETEN and METEOREN awards rankings, measuring brand growth and product introduction success in the Dutch drugstore market.
• VakcentrumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVakcentrum represents approximately 3,000 independent retail stores including drogisterijen and is mentioned as a collaborative partner in industry discussions about sustainability standards like Green Lease.
• Bijwerkingencentrum LarebminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBD and Lareb signed an updated agreement to strengthen cooperation on reporting side effects from self-care medicines and health products, including joint educational materials for drogisterij staff.
• CBG (College ter Beoordeling van Geneesmiddelen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBG (Medicines Evaluation Board) is a strategic partner of CBD, collaborating on proper use and availability of self-care medicines. CBG conducted work visits to drugstores to observe certification systems.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Drug Topics: Trade publication covering pharmacy and drug retail, with editorial and audience events targeted at self-care retailers. Comparable in serving the same professional retail-and-pharmacy readership who-cares reaches with its magazine distribution.
• Drug Store News: Long-standing US trade media brand covering drugstore and self-care retail. Closely comparable B2B trade publication model serving retailers, suppliers, and industry bodies in a drugstore/self-care vertical.
• Distrifood: Dutch trade publication for food retail, focused on supermarkets and grocery formats. Comparable as a Dutch B2B trade media brand with print, digital, events, and awards serving retailers and suppliers.
• RetailTrends: Dutch B2B retail media platform covering non-food and food retail in the Netherlands. Operates in the same country and same Dutch retail trade media category as who-cares, competing for similar retail and supplier advertisers.

Regional players

• The Grocer: UK B2B trade media for grocery and retail with print, digital, and events. Comparable trade media business model serving a different geography than who-cares' Dutch-only footprint.
• Vakcentrum: Dutch trade association representing ~3,000 independent retail stores including drogisterijen. Comparable as a Dutch self-care/retail industry ecosystem player and KNDB/CBD-adjacent organization that collaborates with who-cares.

Emerging players

• Cosmetics Business: B2B trade media for the personal care and cosmetics industry. Overlaps with who-cares' beauty/cosmetics coverage and supplier advertiser base within Dutch self-care retail.

Broad incumbents

• Chain Store Age: Established US B2B retail trade media covering multiple retail verticals. Comparable business model (trade publication + events + awards) but broader retail scope rather than drugstore-specific niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/who-caresmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 who-cares