Last-mile delivery for dm-drogerie markt in Germany

In 1973, an ambitious young man opened his first drugstore in Karlsruhe, Germany. Götz W. Werner, the fifth child in a family that had owned drugstores for three generations, was only 29 when he introduced the concept of running a drugstore like a retail business.

From that first drugstore, dm-drogerie markt (dm) has grown to a business empire of more than 3,700 stores in 13 European countries, with a turnover of more than 11 billion Euro. The company sells cosmetics, healthcare items, household products and health food, many of them under dm brands.

Warehousing and distribution since the 80s

In 1986, dm enlisted DSV to help distribute products to 10 local stores. A year later, the contract was expanded to include warehousing and distribution to over 100 stores.

DSV has been working closely with dm since then, expanding its capacity and service to handle the needs of dm whenever necessary. On an average day, DSV packages 200,000 orders and delivers 10,000 pallets using more than 1,000 trucks to dm stores all over Germany.

Experience, trust and a single point of contact

dm is not a typical company. Götz W. Werner applies the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner in supporting flat hierarchies and a cooperative work environment. He believes that choosing the right partners and building a solid relationship with them is more effective than constantly changing partners in hopes of short-term benefit. Werner was the head of the Karlsruhe Institute of Entrepreneurship at Karlsruhe.

The better I know people, the better I can work together with them. The same applies to companies. That’s why it’s important for us to maintain a long-term, reliable, and fair relationship with our business partners. DSV is our partner for store deliveries and warehouse logistics because we understand each other extremely well.

Götz W. Werner, founder and member of the dm supervisory board

dm’s partners need to have a local, single-point-of-contact presence with which communication is direct and clear. In working with dm the local contact needs to be able to make independent decisions and implement them without interference.

Rolf Wetzel, DSV Director of Retail Distribution and Services in Germany, echoes this idea when he says, “Local DSV offices have a lot of freedom. Those of us who work close to the customer are able to make important decisions. It’s a philosophy that seems to fit well with dm’s way of thinking.”

DSV is proud of its very strong relationship with dm and hopes to continue growing with them in the decades to come.

What can we do for you and your business? Give us a call and this might just be the beginning of a long-lasting relationship too.