What to Know about German Drugstores : Tips and Tricks

I've only ever publish reviews on this blog, but since I haven't posted any in a long time and I'm restarting this blog, I figured I'd share some information and tips about german drug stores (Drögerie) that you may or may not already know about.

But first things first; what are drugstores?

I came from Indonesia, and from where I came from we don't have drug stores. When we want to go buy make up, we either go to the supermarket or the department stores. From what I understand, american drugstores are also mostly similar to german ones, but rather bigger in size.

German drugstores sells make up, other beauty products like skin care, beauty tools, household products, vitamins, (mostly bio) snacks/food, hair care products, and also feminine or baby products. Most likely they also sell decorations (though minimal), and have photo-printing-automated machines. 

Five Facts about German Drug Stores :

1. The two major drugstores in Germany are dm (drögerie-markt) and Rossmann.

Depending on which city you're going to be, generally you will find either dm or Rossmann. I've lived in both northern and southern part of Germany, and what I've noticed is you're more likely to encounter dm in comparison to Rossmann in south Germany.

2. In comparison, Rossmann are generally slightly more expensive than dm, although they sell mostly the same products and brands.

3. They both have their own brand. For example, dm has Balea, and Rosmann has Rival de Loop. You won't find Balea at Rossmann and vice versa. They generally has the same set of products and also have similar pricing.

4. There are brands that are exclusive to dm or Rossmann. For example, NYX products are only available at dm, and some products are even online-exclusive at dm.de

5. Drug stores are not pharmacies. You can't buy medicine in a german drug store, for that you'd have to visit a real pharmacy (Apotheke).

Tips on Shopping in German Drug Stores :

1. Rossmann are more likely to have sales than dm. Rossmann often have special offers on products from Maybelline or L'Oreal, while dm prices are almost always steady.

2. Apply for a loyalty card called Payback-Karte to accumulate points if you're going to shop in dm often. There are coupons online that you can use to get more points. Afterwards you can exchange it for a shopping vouchers on participating stores (like the supermarket Real or the department store Galeria Kaufhof).

3. Limited-editions products and new products are generally first available in dm rather than Rossmann (if at all).

I hope this helps you to somewhat understand german drug stores a little better. Also, I hope you find the tips useful!