When a major pharmacy chain refurbishes one of its stores, it is not simply looking for new fixtures. It is looking for a partner capable of understanding the brand format, respecting its standards, and translating them accurately into every area of the pharmacy.
This capability is the foundation of the value delivered by CAEM in the Dr. Max project. The objective was not to reinterpret the store concept, but to replicate an already established identity by integrating merchandising, communication, and storage into an environment fully aligned with the chain’s format.
Dr. Max, an International Pharmacy Chain
Dr. Max is one of Europe's leading pharmacy networks. The group operates across the pharmaceutical sector through physical pharmacies, e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and healthcare-related services, with a particularly strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The group's headquarters are located in Prague, Czech Republic.
| Geographical Presence | 18 European countries |
| Number of Stores |
Approx. 3,000 pharmacies across Europe
|
| Market Position | One of Europe's leading pharmacy chains |
This scale makes the retail format a strategic asset. Every pharmacy must be instantly recognizable as part of the Dr. Max network while still being adapted to the characteristics of its specific location. For the fit-out partner, the challenge is therefore to replicate a structured identity while maintaining visual continuity, merchandising quality, and operational consistency.
The CAEM Value: Turning a Format into a Physical Space
In the Dr. Max project, CAEM demonstrated its ability to work within an already established identity, placing its solutions entirely at the service of the customer's format. The goal was not to create a pharmacy designed around CAEM products, but a Dr. Max pharmacy built in full accordance with the chain's standards.
Replicating a format means correctly interpreting the relationships between colours, signage, shelving systems, product categories, and customer pathways. It also means maintaining this consistency across wall merchandising, central gondolas, promotional tables, checkout areas, and medicine storage zones.
The images clearly show how the Dr. Max visual language remains the dominant element throughout the store. CAEM provides the structure that makes this consistency possible, without imposing an aesthetic that would conflict with the brand.
A Consistent Visual Identity Across Every Area
The pharmacy is recognizable from the very first glance. The green fascia, the Dr. Max logo, and the large glass storefront immediately communicate the identity of the chain while previewing the visual concept inside.
Inside the store, green continues through the upper graphic bands of the wall displays, while white defines most of the merchandising fixtures and product presentation areas. Grey structural elements introduce a neutral tone that supports the display without competing with the diverse colours of the product packaging.
The logo appears in multiple locations and remains visible throughout the customer journey. Its repetition is carefully controlled, reinforcing brand identity without distracting attention from products and categories.
Signage Makes a Complex Assortment Easy to Navigate
A pharmacy carries a wide variety of products, categories, and packaging formats. Without a clear visual hierarchy, this diversity can create confusion and make the store more difficult to navigate.
In this Dr. Max store, walls are organised into clearly identified categories including dermocosmetics, supplements, phytotherapy, sports nutrition, baby care, and self-medication. Category labels follow a consistent style and occupy a fixed position above the products.
The category band acts as a stable visual reference, while the shelves below can accommodate different assortments. For a pharmacy chain, this approach provides an additional benefit: it allows the offer to evolve from one location to another while maintaining a recognizable and consistent retail language.
Wall Displays, Gondolas, and Promotional Tables Speak the Same Language
The project combines perimeter shelving, central gondolas, and promotional tables dedicated to campaigns and featured selections. Each element serves a different purpose, yet all share consistent proportions, colours, and finishes.
The perimeter displays provide continuity across categories and maximise the use of the store boundaries. Gondolas bring product ranges into the centre of the selling space while preserving visibility of signage and surrounding departments. Tables provide flexible surfaces for highlighted products and temporary communication initiatives.
Promotional campaigns can therefore be implemented without disrupting the permanent format. Communication changes, while the merchandising architecture continues to guarantee order, continuity, and recognizability.
Refurbishment Quality Continues Behind the Counter
A pharmacy format is not limited to what customers see. An essential part of the project exists in staff-only areas, where medicines must be organised and quickly accessible during daily operations.
CAEM completed the project with dedicated medicine drawer units. The images show a system composed of numerous drawers arranged in multiple rows, with shaped fronts and visible references designed to facilitate product identification.
Integrating merchandising and storage within the same refurbishment project allows the pharmacy to be approached as a complete operational system. Customers experience an organised and consistent environment, while staff benefit from dedicated solutions for managing pharmaceutical products behind the counter.
What This Case Study Demonstrates
The Dr. Max project demonstrates that customization does not always mean creating a completely different store. For a retail chain, customization means adapting solutions to a specific location while preserving a shared and recognizable model.
To achieve this, a partner must be able to meet several key requirements:
This is where a complete and configurable product range creates value. The variety of available solutions makes it possible to serve different functions while maintaining a single retail language, rather than building a pharmacy from disconnected components.
A Partner Capable of Working with Leading Retailers
Being selected by Dr. Max for this refurbishment represents a significant reference for CAEM. It demonstrates CAEM's ability to work with the format of one of Europe's leading pharmacy networks and translate it into a coherent physical environment.
Working with a major chain means understanding established standards and applying them accurately. The partner's expertise becomes evident in its ability to support the customer's brand while coordinating technical solutions behind the scenes.
For retailers, choosing CAEM means relying on a partner capable of operating both at the level of a single pharmacy and within a structured retail identity. The value lies not only in the production of fixtures, but also in the ability to make them a credible and coherent part of the customer's format.
FAQ
Who is Dr. Max?
Dr. Max is one of Europe's leading pharmacy networks. Headquartered in Prague, the group operates in 18 countries through physical pharmacies, e-commerce channels, and pharmaceutical distribution activities.
What was CAEM's role in the Dr. Max pharmacy project?
Dr. Max selected CAEM as a partner for the pharmacy refurbishment. CAEM supplied solutions for merchandising areas and medicine storage, adapting them to the brand's retail format.
What does it mean to replicate the format of a pharmacy chain?
It means consistently reproducing the visual and operational codes of the brand by coordinating colours, signage, fixtures, categories, and spatial organisation within a specific location.
Which elements of the Dr. Max format are visible in the project?
The images show the green and white colour palette, repeated use of the logo, consistent category signage, and coordination between wall displays, gondolas, promotional tables, and checkout areas.
Why is this project an important reference for CAEM?
The project demonstrates CAEM's ability to work with an international pharmacy chain, understand its standards, and apply its format consistently across different areas of the pharmacy.