CBS counts businesses, not sites. A pharmacy chain or group with several pharmacies counts as one business. The number of pharmacy locations is therefore higher.
SBI G 47.73 · G 47.74 · G 47.78.2
Community pharmacies, drugstores, shops for orthopaedic and medical goods and opticians – for wholesalers, suppliers of care and optical products, shop fitters and software vendors.
Our database holds 535,638 records (as of 4 November 2026); they are not yet assigned to an industry, so there are no counts of our own per industry yet. For your request we confirm the scope and data date in advance.
Export of the whole industry: €379 (final price). Selections by province, municipality or your own filters are quoted individually.
Official statistics: 4,085 businesses in the Netherlands according to CBS StatLine, table 81589NED “Bedrijven; bedrijfstak” (reference date 1 October 2026 (provisional), table updated 15 October 2026). SBI 47.73 pharmacies (1,360), 47.74 drugstores and orthopaedic shops (1,325) and 47.78.2 opticians (1,400) combined. This is the size of the market, not the size of our database.
The industry combines three SBI retail classes: pharmacies (47.73: 1,360), drugstores and orthopaedic shops (47.74: 1,325) and opticians (47.78.2: 1,400). CBS counts 4,085 businesses in total (1 October 2026).
The number of businesses is lower than the number of shops: chains of pharmacies, drugstores and opticians count as one business with several sites. Hearing aid shops have no SBI class of their own; they may be registered under different classes.
| SBI 2008 | CBS description | For your selection |
|---|---|---|
| 47.73 | Dispensing chemists (Apotheken) | community pharmacies |
| 47.74 | Drugstores and orthopaedic shops | drugstores (47.741) and orthopaedic goods (47.742) |
| 47.78.2 | Opticians (Winkels in optische artikelen) | opticians and optometrists with a shop |
There is a statutory register for pharmacists; different rules apply to opticians and drugstores.
These 15 columns are included.
Many pharmacies, drugstores and opticians belong to a chain or formula. In a branch, the head office usually decides on purchasing. For manufacturers and wholesalers both the head offices and the independent owners are interesting; feel free to ask for a split.
Independent pharmacies and opticians are often a bv or a sole tradership. You may call a bv on business matters, a sole trader only with consent.
We supply contact lens solution and accessories and are looking for opticians (SBI 47.78.2) throughout the Netherlands with phone number and website. How many businesses are there, and can you show chains separately?
Use cases
Reach independent pharmacies by region.
Approach opticians and drugstores with a new range.
Pharmacies and opticians per city for refurbishments.
Map independent shops in this industry.
Questions
CBS counts businesses, not sites. A pharmacy chain or group with several pharmacies counts as one business. The number of pharmacy locations is therefore higher.
Not as a group of their own: hearing aid shops have no SBI class of their own. On request we search for them separately; we state that in the quotation.
You may call pharmacies that are legal entities on business matters. Sole traders only with their prior consent. Email only with consent or to an address published for that purpose.
4,085 businesses in the Netherlands according to CBS StatLine, table 81589NED “Bedrijven; bedrijfstak” (reference date 1 October 2026 (provisional), table updated 15 October 2026). SBI 47.73 pharmacies (1,360), 47.74 drugstores and orthopaedic shops (1,325) and 47.78.2 opticians (1,400) combined. This is an official statistic, not the size of our dataset.
Format, sources, price and the rules for email and phone (Dutch Telecommunications Act): questions about all industries.