Super-Pharm

Super-Pharm is an Israeli-founded multinational pharmacy and drugstore chain whose retail model combines prescription and over-the-counter pharmacy services with cosmetics, toiletries, personal-care goods, household products, food, and other non-pharmaceutical merchandise. The company was established by Canadian retail entrepreneur Murray Koffler together with his children Leon and Theo Koffler after Murray’s visit to Israel during the 1970s. The first Super-Pharm store opened in the Neve Amirim neighborhood of Herzliya in 1979, creating a business modeled in part on Koffler’s Canadian Shoppers Drug Mart concept. From the beginning, Super-Pharm differentiated itself from the traditional Israeli pharmacy format. Its stores opened on the Jewish Sabbath, where permitted, and offered a broad assortment beyond medicines. This helped position the chain as a convenience-oriented health, beauty, and general drugstore retailer rather than solely as a dispensing pharmacy. A second store opened in Jerusalem two years after the first, and in 1985 the company entered shopping-center retail with a branch in the Ayalon shopping mall. The Israeli business became the company’s core market and developed into the country’s largest drugstore chain, with a nationwide store network and a significant workforce. Super-Pharm also became notable for employing substantial numbers of Israeli Arab citizens; the reference material states that approximately 1,000 of about 5,800 employees were Israeli Arabs at the time described, and that a number of franchise stores were owned by Israeli Arabs. These figures are historical and should not be treated as current operating statistics. Super-Pharm expanded internationally in the early twenty-first century. It opened its first Polish branch in 2001 and later operated a Polish network. In 2005, it entered China through a joint venture with Chinese partners. The cited historical material reported 87 Chinese stores around 2010, but also indicates that the Chinese operation was subsequently discontinued; current Chinese operations are therefore not included in the active-market description. Private-label merchandise has been an important part of the business. Since 1995, Super-Pharm has marketed products under the Life and LifeStyle labels. The Life assortment has covered toiletries, medicines, food, and other everyday consumer products, with the cited source describing more than 400 products and reporting that Life represented approximately 13% of sales in 2007. These figures are historical and are not presented as current financial information. Ownership has changed over time. In July 2007, Bank Leumi acquired an 18% interest in Super-Pharm for NIS 190 million, implying a reported company valuation of approximately NIS 1.05 billion at the time. In April 2019, Union Group, led by the Horesh family, acquired approximately 34% from existing investors including Leumi Investments, Discount Investments, and Leon Koffler. The available reference material does not establish the present ownership structure or a current parent company. Super-Pharm remains principally associated with Israeli pharmacy and drugstore retail, while its Polish presence gives it an international operating footprint. Its brand proposition rests on accessible locations, extended retail availability, pharmacy expertise, cosmetics and personal-care breadth, and private-label value. The company’s exact current store count, executive roster, ownership, and financial performance are not established by the supplied reference material.

Super-Pharm’s roots are connected to the Koffler family’s Canadian pharmacy-retailing background. Leon Koffler began operating Koffler Drug Stores in 1921. In 1941, his son Murray inherited two stores known as Koffler’s Drugs. The Canadian business expanded to 17 pharmacies by 1962 and was later renamed Shoppers Drug Mart in the 1970s. After visiting Israel during that decade, Murray Koffler pursued the creation of a comparable drugstore chain in the Israeli market with his children Leon and Theo. The first Super-Pharm store opened in 1979 in Neve Amirim, Herzliya. The business was designed to differ from conventional pharmacies by combining drug and pharmacy services with a much broader retail assortment. It also operated on the Jewish Sabbath, where legally and locally permitted, an approach that distinguished it from many traditional pharmacy businesses. A second branch opened in Jerusalem two years later. In 1985, Super-Pharm opened its first shopping-mall location at Ayalon shopping mall, helping establish the chain in modern Israeli commercial centers. Theo Koffler was associated with cosmetics marketing and strategic operational planning. The company subsequently expanded its Israeli network and became the country’s largest drugstore chain. Historical reference material describes a network of approximately 235 Israeli stores and around 5,800 employees at the time of the cited account, although these figures are not current-verified data. The same material highlights the participation of Israeli Arabs in the workforce and franchise system, describing approximately 1,000 Israeli Arab employees and 25 franchise stores owned by Israeli Arabs during the period discussed. Super-Pharm developed a private-label strategy beginning in 1995. Its Life and LifeStyle labels were used for a broad portfolio that included toiletries, medicines, food, and other household or personal-care products. The Life label was reported to include more than 400 products and to account for approximately 13% of total sales in 2007. The labels echoed the private-brand approach associated with Shoppers Drug Mart, while being adapted to Super-Pharm’s Israeli retail operation. International expansion began in Poland in 2001, when the company opened its first Polish branch. By 2011, the Polish chain was reported to have 33 locations. Super-Pharm also entered China in 2005 through a joint venture with local partners. Historical material reported 87 Chinese stores around 2010, but the company no longer lists China among its operating markets in the supplied material, indicating that this operation was discontinued. The company’s capital structure changed in 2007, when Bank Leumi acquired 18% for NIS 190 million. The transaction implied a reported valuation of approximately NIS 1.05 billion. In April 2019, Union Group, headed by the Horesh family, purchased approximately 34% from investors including Leumi Investments, Discount Investments, and Leon Koffler. The available sources do not provide a verified current ownership structure, current leadership list, or recent financial results. Super-Pharm’s historical development therefore combines family-founded pharmacy retail, Israeli nationwide expansion, shopping-center placement, private-label development, and selective international expansion. Its continuing brand identity is based on the drugstore format: pharmacy expertise integrated with cosmetics, personal care, household products, food, and convenience-oriented shopping.

• 2019

  Union Group acquired approximately 34%

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Union Group, led by the Horesh family, bought approximately 34% of Super-Pharm from existing investors.

• 2011

  Global chain-drug-retailer award recognized the company

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Chain Drug Review named Super-Pharm its Global Chain Drug Retailer of the Year for 2010.

• 2007

  Bank Leumi acquired a minority stake

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Bank Leumi purchased an 18% stake for NIS 190 million.

• 2005

  Chinese joint-venture operation began

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  The company entered China through a joint venture with Chinese partners.

• 2001

  Polish expansion began

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Super-Pharm opened its first store in Poland.

• 1995

  Life and LifeStyle private labels introduced

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Super-Pharm began selling products under its own Life and LifeStyle brands.

• 1985

  First shopping-mall branch opened

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  The company opened a location at Ayalon shopping mall, its first branch in a shopping mall.

• 1981

  Second branch opened in Jerusalem

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Super-Pharm expanded beyond Herzliya with a second store in Jerusalem.

• 1979

  First Super-Pharm store opened in Herzliya

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Murray, Leon, and Theo Koffler opened the first Super-Pharm branch in Herzliya, Israel.

• 1941

  Murray Koffler inherited two drugstores

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Murray Koffler took over two stores known as Koffler’s Drugs and later expanded the Canadian business.

• 1921

  Koffler Drug Stores began operations

  [1]Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org

  Leon Koffler began the family’s pharmacy-retailing business in Canada, the commercial background from which Super-Pharm later emerged.

A broad-assortment pharmacy and drugstore retailer combining pharmaceutical services with beauty, personal-care, household, food, and convenience merchandise, supported by private-label products and accessible retail locations.

• Retail pharmacy · 1979

  Super-Pharm pharmacy and drugstore stores

  The core Super-Pharm format combines pharmacy services with a general drugstore assortment. Stores sell prescription and non-prescription medicines alongside cosmetics, toiletries, personal-care goods, household products, food, and convenience items. The format was established to be broader than a traditional pharmacy and was also associated with Sabbath opening where permitted. Super-Pharm developed a strong presence in Israeli shopping centers and urban retail locations, while also operating in Poland.

• Private label · 1995

  Life

  Life is Super-Pharm’s principal private-label brand. Introduced in 1995, it has covered toiletries, medicines, food, and other everyday consumer categories. The cited historical material described an assortment of more than 400 products and reported that Life accounted for approximately 13% of Super-Pharm sales in 2007. The available sources do not establish the label’s current range or sales contribution.

• Private label · 1995

  LifeStyle

  LifeStyle is a Super-Pharm private-label line associated with consumer and personal-care merchandise. It forms part of the retailer’s own-brand strategy, which broadens assortment and provides products sold through Super-Pharm stores. The supplied reference material does not specify a complete current category list or product count.

• 2019

  Union Group stake acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Super-Pharm’s ownership was reshaped as existing investors sold a substantial minority interest.

  Action taken

  Union Group, headed by the Horesh family, acquired approximately 34% from Leumi Investments, Discount Investments, and Leon Koffler.

  Aftermath

  The transaction made Union Group a significant shareholder, but the supplied material does not establish the complete post-transaction ownership structure or current control arrangements.

  Source

• 2007

  Bank Leumi minority investmentM&A

  Background

  Super-Pharm brought a financial institution into its ownership structure during its expansion as a major Israeli drugstore chain.

  Action taken

  Bank Leumi acquired an 18% stake for NIS 190 million.

  Aftermath

  The transaction implied a reported company valuation of approximately NIS 1.05 billion.

  Purchase price for 18% stake. NIS 190 million (July 2007)

  Source

• 2005

  Entry into China through a joint ventureStrategy

  Background

  Super-Pharm attempted to extend its drugstore model into the Chinese market through local collaboration.

  Action taken

  The company began operating in China with Chinese partners through a joint venture.

  Aftermath

  The historical material reported 87 Chinese stores around 2010, while the supplied reference indicates that China was later no longer an operating market.

  Source

• 2001

  Expansion into PolandStrategy

  Background

  After building its principal Israeli network, Super-Pharm pursued international growth in another European retail market.

  Action taken

  The company opened its first Polish branch and developed a local store network.

  Aftermath

  Historical reference material reported 33 Polish branches by 2011. Current store numbers are not established by the supplied sources.

  Source

• 1995

  Launch of Life and LifeStyle private labelsProduct launch

  Background

  Super-Pharm sought to extend its retail proposition beyond third-party pharmacy and beauty products and to develop own-brand offerings.

  Action taken

  The company introduced products under the Life and LifeStyle labels across categories including toiletries, medicines, food, and other consumer goods.

  Aftermath

  The labels became a significant element of the assortment; historical material reported more than 400 Life products and a 13% sales share for Life in 2007.

  Life share of total Super-Pharm sales. Approximately 13% (2007)

  Source

• 1979

  Adoption of the broad drugstore formatStrategy

  Background

  The founders sought to adapt the Koffler family’s Canadian drugstore model to Israel, where traditional pharmacies generally had a narrower product and service role.

  Action taken

  Super-Pharm combined pharmacy services with cosmetics, toiletries, household goods, food, and other non-drug merchandise, and operated on the Jewish Sabbath where permitted.

  Aftermath

  The format became the basis for the company’s expansion into a nationwide Israeli drugstore chain and later international markets.

  Source

1. 1Super-Pharmen.wikipedia.org