Déjà présent en France, en Espagne et en Italie, le Groupe Hygie31 prend une participation majoritaire dans le groupe dirigé par John Carroll dans le cadre d’un nouvel accord de partenariat stratégique avec l’entreprise irlandaise. Navi fédère plus de 600 officines, soit près de 30 % du marché irlandais, et génère 700 M€ de volume d’affaires via ses plateformes. L’opération porte l’écosystème Hygie31 à plus de 3 930 points de vente affiliées en Europe, dont 3542 pharmacies affiliées, et lui ouvre une nouvelle plateforme de croissance sur les marchés anglophones.
The partnership combines Hygie31’s pan-European purchasing power with the strong market presence and advanced technology solutions of Ireland’s leading independent managed pharmacy services platform.
Achieving Pan-European Scale
Ireland becomes Hygie31’s fourth European market and its first footprint in an English-speaking country. In Spain, Hygie31 España manages Farmacia Lafayette alongside several regional buying groups, representing over 430 partner pharmacies. In Italy, its partnership with GalileoLife provides access to a network of more than 610 affiliated pharmacies.
Avec Navi Group, Hygie31 fédère désormais plus de 3 542 pharmacies affiliées en Europe, dont plus de 440 sous enseigne Pharmacie Lafayette, représentant plus de 6 Md€ de volume d’affaires cumulé.
A European Model Dedicated to Independent Community Pharmacy
Across Europe, independent pharmacies face the challenge of maintaining profitability within an increasingly demanding regulatory environment, while also securing reliable product supply chains and freeing up clinical time to expand patient services, including prevention, health screening and vaccination.
The partnership between Hygie31 and Navi Group delivers two complementary responses:
- Strengthened purchasing power: Integrating the Axium Buying Group expands aggregated purchasing volumes with pharmaceutical manufacturers, with the aim of improving commercial terms and product availability for member pharmacies.
- Preserving pharmacy independence : Pooling shared services and operational tools gives pharmacy owners the resources they need to remain competitive with integrated retail chains and an increasingly consolidated wholesale market, without giving up ownership of their pharmacies.
Navi Group: Ireland’s Leading Services Provider for Independent Pharmacies
Founded in 2009 by pharmacist John Carroll, Navi Group employs 90 people and generates €700 million in business volume through its platforms. The group combines aggregate buying power, branded retail networks, and proprietary pharmacy management technology.
Its operational model is structured around two complementary divisions:
- A Technology Division covering the entire pharmacy workflow: from dispensing to procurement management, advanced data analytics, and performance optimization.
- Un pôle commercial structuré autour d’Axium Buying Group, premier groupement d’achats d’Irlande avec plus de 600 pharmacies affiliées, et d’un réseau d’environ 100 officines développant une proposition d’enseigne à travers CarePlus Pharmacy et StayWell Pharmacy.
A "Third Way" for Irish Community Pharmacy: Combining Independence with European Scale
In an Irish market shaped by the rise of corporate pharmacy chains and vertical integration among major pharmaceutical wholesalers, Hygie31 and Navi Group offer a compelling third way: safeguarding the capital independence and local community presence of pharmacists while significantly enhancing their operational competitiveness.
The transaction will activate three priority synergies:
- Leverage of European pharmaceutical supplier agreements: Providing Irish members with access to the terms negotiated by Hygie31 with leading international pharmaceutical companies across generics, OTC and Front-of-Shop products.
- Commercial offering and private labels: Enhancing Navi’s commercial proposition by leveraging the best practices of the Pharmacie Lafayette concept (price accessibility, broad product assortment, service-oriented and clinical positioning) and progressively rolling out Hygie31’s European private-label portfolio.
- Technology and data: Accelerating the development of Navi Group’s SaaS and data analytics solutions and deploying them at a pan-European scale to streamline pharmacy management and enhance the patient healthcare journey.
For affiliated pharmacists, the benefits are tangible: improved purchasing conditions, higher supply security, and operational tools designed to release valuable time back to patient care and clinical services.
Ireland: Hygie31’s Bridgehead to English-Speaking Markets
This acquisition provides Hygie31 with an experienced leadership team, proven proprietary technology, and a robust commercial infrastructure in an English-speaking market. The Group will rely on John Carroll and Navi’s executive team to accelerate growth in Ireland and explore further expansion opportunities across English-speaking markets, particularly the United Kingdom.
« With Navi Group, Hygie31 accelerates its European expansion and takes a decisive step toward building a pan-European champion for independent pharmacy. Following France, Spain, and Italy, Ireland becomes our gateway to English-speaking markets. Alongside John Carroll and his team, we will combine the strength of Pharmacie Lafayette and our Pan-European commercial agreements with Navi’s local leadership and technology capabilities to build a powerful new growth engine. »
Hervé Jouves, President of Hygie31
« We share the exact same conviction with Hygie31: protecting the independence and local community role of pharmacists while elevating their competitiveness. Backing our technology and strong Irish presence with Hygie31’s purchasing power, investments, and European expertise creates an unprecedented growth lever for our partner pharmacies. This alliance secures our growth trajectory in Ireland and propels our service platform onto the international stage.»
John Carroll, CEO of Navi Group
« Nous partageons avec Hygie31 la même conviction : préserver l’indépendance et l’ancrage territorial des pharmaciens tout en renforçant leur compétitivité. En adossant nos technologies et notre ancrage irlandais à
la puissance d’achat, aux investissements et à l’expertise européenne d’Hygie31, nous créons un effet de levier unique pour nos pharmacies partenaires. Cette alliance sécurise notre croissance en Irlande et propulse
notre plateforme de services à l’échelle internationale. »