BR Pharma integrates areas and wants to open 100 shops in 2013

The pharmacy retailer Brazil Pharma, whose largest shareholder is banco BTG Pactual, could conceivably wind up this year the process of integration of the acquired networks since 2010. The integration of operational area, the more time-consuming, should take about another year, says André Sá, President of the company. Established in December 2009 with half-board from the financial market, she appeared to grow through acquisitions.
Become the company that bought businesses in the retail sector in recent years and today is the largest network of drugstores in the country in number of points, with 1,050 stores, and the fourth in revenue. By the calculations of the command, at the end of this process, the period to consolidate the business in a single structure can reach about two and a half years. Business integration in the various areas of retailing, after the string of acquisitions in the industry, has taken two to three years on average, the level of complexity of this process.
In the case of the BR Pharma, with Exchange-traded and 35.7% of the common shares with BTG, analysts seek to understand how current integration has evolved. And raised questions in the public meeting of the command with the market in December. Integration depends on internal expenditure reductions of pressing the Group's margin today. There are already signs of a decrease in General and administrative expenses, but the company itself has admitted that major gains are expected in 2013.
"At the end of the year we finish the adjustments in the operational area of the networks, which is the most difficult and time-consuming," says Samuel. "What takes longer is standardization of the shops, the change in layouts. The enterprise has the same level of care and service and the same culture. These adjustments should happen this year ", says the Executive from BR Pharma, which spent $ 578 million in acquisitions in 2011 and 2012, according to the balance sheet. The company still sum r $ 400 million in cash.
There were six networks bought in less than 30 months, from July 2010-some unknown market. The networks were born in Distrito Federal, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia and Pará and the more known in São Paulo is the Farmais. Bought shops operating with customized it systems developed internally. Also entered in this basket purchases of stores that had no standardized internal area.
At the time, the reorganisation of the structures are divided into three areas: commercial, administrative and operational. In the commercial, the negotiation with industry for purchases of products already happens so unified today, which brings economies of scale. Have not yet completed, however, the unification of the systems of distribution centers (there are five in the country). Already in the administrative area, joined a handful of Office services in a single, called shared services Center (CSC).
Among the six networks purchased two (Big Ben and Guararapes) are not within the CSC. Some gains were perceived. For example, the company began to register this year a savings of r $ 7.2 billion per month in the Valley Transportation with the deduction of unjustified absences of employees. Who lack the job does not use the Valley, and this value has to be deducted. Other savings of r $ 9.6 billion per month was obtained with deduction of faults with the Valley.
In stores, have also been taken to standardize the points through reforms of the internal areas that are in progress. "We want the same format to store on all networks, with the same arrangement of shelves, boxes. And you can find the same level of service everywhere, "says Samuel. To spread the "culture BR Pharma" was what the company called "culture" roadshow. Eighty-four shops were visited by the direction of the network since July.
The Executive said that the company plans to open 100 new drugstores this year, in regions where it already operates and in the new Member States. Samuel did not anticipate the new locations. In 2012, the company has opened 96 pharmacies, while business was purchased. There were about 300 openings since 2010. The company also decided it will "sign" the name Brazil Pharma in the corner of the front of your points, but Brazil will be with "s". The word "Pharma" (Ph) is because it is reliable, according to consultancy is made by advertiser Nizan Guanaes.