Part of the REWE Group since 1996, BIPA is now one of Austria's leading drugstore chains with around 570 shops, over 4,000 employees and 3.3 million regular customers.
Growth and expansion
Since welcoming its first customers on Valentine's Day in 1980, BIPA can look back on an impressive history of growth. ‘It all started with perfumes and decorative cosmetics at an affordable price - two areas that still play a major role in today's BIPA range,’ explains BIPA Managing Director Markus Geyer. In 45 years of company history, the product range has grown enormously, but one principle has remained unchanged: ‘Today, the BIPA range comprises more than 15,000 items - including not only international branded products, but now also 1,500 items from our BIPA brands. We use them to ensure that drugstore shopping remains cost-effective.’ From detergents, cleaning products, skincare and cosmetics to dental care, pet food and baby products, the Austrian drugstore retailer covers all areas of daily life. BIPA started in 1988 with the first photo shops in shops and thus also established a range of services. The branch network grew gradually - even beyond Austria's borders: BIPA expanded into Croatia in 2007. Since 2011, all items have also been available in the online shop. ‘Even after 45 years, innovation is still a top priority at BIPA. One important area is the modernisation of our shops with an inspiring and experience-oriented shop layout. We are also continuing to develop our digital channels and, in addition to the constantly growing online shop offerings on bipa.at, we are also offering delivery from the shops via foodora in more and more cities - in under 30 minutes on average,’ says BIPA Managing Director Andreas Persigehl. ‘We are continuously working on future-orientated solutions for our customers in all areas of the company to enable even better shopping experiences.’
High quality particularly affordable: BIPA brands are gaining in importance
10 years after opening its first shop, BIPA began developing its own BIPA brands in the 1990s. LOOK BY BIPA was the first own brand to appear on the shelves in 1997 and today competes with top international brands. According to a survey in 2024, LOOK BY BIPA was the second most popular cosmetics brand in Austria between L'Oreal and Maybelline. In 2014, BIPA expanded its range to include the sustainable brand bi good, as well as many other BIPA brands - including BI CARE, BI COMFORT, BI HOME, BABYWELL and BI LIFE. Sustainability is a top priority at bi good. 80 per cent of all bi good products are now developed and manufactured in Austria. Special attention is also paid to sustainable packaging. BIPA Managing Director Markus Geyer sees the brand as a key pillar of the sustainability strategy: ‘With bi good, we offer our customers a wide range of products that clearly focus on environmental protection and high quality, but are still reasonably priced. In this way, we are expanding the range of green products in our shops and making them affordable for everyone. ‘All green products at BIPA - i.e. products whose environmental benefits, such as quality labels, have been confirmed by Greenpeace - are labelled with a green price tag. This makes it even easier for BIPA customers to shop in an environmentally friendly way.
BIPA not only fulfils its responsibility in terms of sustainability when it comes to its product range: environmental and climate protection are a major concern, as is social responsibility towards employees and society. BIPA has supported the Austrian Nature Parks Association since 2023, promoting awareness among children for the important resource of water, among other things. ‘As an Austrian company, it is a matter of course for us to make a contribution to a good climate on our planet and in our society,’ explains BIPA Managing Director Andreas Persigehl. ‘We have long-standing partnerships that are very close to our hearts. At the same time, we are also launching new initiatives to respond to current challenges, such as saving food or combating period poverty.’ The ‘Round up, please.’ campaign, which has been running since 2013, supports Caritas, for example. A more recent initiative is the ‘Red Box’, which, together with the City of Vienna, distributes free period products to people who cannot afford them or can only afford them with difficulty.
New campaign: BIPA celebrates the moment - with special anniversary editions
It is often many small moments that make life beautiful - this is the motto of BIPA's campaign for its anniversary year. Everyday moments of happiness are staged in TV adverts, print ads, posters and digital media: Whether it's ‘Painted my nails and didn't smudge anything.’ or ‘Been faster by bike than by car.’ - the 360° campaign uses humour to show that small moments of happiness in different situations in life are always a reason to celebrate. The communication line was developed and realised together with the creative agency AANDRS Vienna. In addition, separate limited editions were developed for the BIPA brands BI CARE and BI HOME. The first limited edition items will be available in all BIPA shops from 20 February 2025 - while stocks last.
