ESTIMATES FOR 2009 Romanian sales of Laboratoires Urgo expected to increase almost 10% this year

Cornelia Angelescu

Sales of Urgo products have seen a constant growth in the last five years. The company"s turnover in 2008 was EUR 5 million, being the result of over coming on the back of over 2.2 million units sold to pharmacies.

Urgo has been operating in Romania for the last ten year, through the pharmaceutical distribution company "Mediplus", and it sells two ranges of products: Humex, which includes 12 products for respiratory tract disorders, and Urgo, which includes 36 first aid products.

In Romania, Urgo is leading the market for first aid products, being present in over 4300 drugstores all over the country. During these last three years, sales to drugstores have increased to 13 million lei in 2006, 15 million lei in 2007, and 17.5 million lei, respectively in 2008.

Starting in 2009, Laboratoires Urgo appointed Anne Durocher as the first country manager for România. She said: "Our sales increased 15-20% every year. We expect our growth to be only 8-10% this year, instead of in the double digits range, mostly because of the exchange rate. My role will be to strengthen the relationship between Urgo and Mediplus, which ensures sales in drugstores. My goal is to double our sales in the next five years".

This goal will be reached through the launch of new products. Yesterday, the company launched a new range of hydrocoloidal bandages for blisters, specifically designed to ease pain and heal the wounds quickly.

Anne Durocher further said: "We have already launched four new products under the Humex brand, in 2009. These launches will continue in May, with products using the filmogel technology, as well as in September, with products in the vitamin segment. We are going to launch ten new products this year, and we intend to keep up the pace in the next five years, for the Humex, Urgo and Alvityl product ranges".

Urgo targets the upper-middle class consumer. Anne Durocher said: "Our goal is to focus on drugstores, to help us make our products visible and to get them close to consumers. In France, it is already a tradition to work together with the pharmacists, as is viewing and testing the product ".

Valerie Ansart, Urgo International Marketing Manager, said: "Our mission is to provide consumers with healthcare products and services for treating the daily small problems. In 2008, Urgo had four products in the Top 20 of the best new product launches in French drugstores, and was selected as the most innovative company by French pharmacists. Urgo is present in over 80 countries all over the world ".

The Urgo brand is a market leader in Romania and France (37%). Laboratoires Urgo, with its two divisions, - Urgo Medical (prescription bandages) and Urgo Consumer Healthcare (OTC products issued without a medical prescription), last year had a EUR 260 million turnover.

Urgo was created in 1890, in Dijon-France, as a family business, and is currently part of the Viva Santé Group, which is also a family business, which generated a turnover of EUR 500 million in 2008.