The Pharmacy Industry in Karmøy: Current Status and Future Prospects

The pharmacy industry in Karmøy has shown a mix of stability and variation over the past few years. There are 8 companies in the industry, with a total of approximately 75 employees in 2026. Sales have grown from 133.9 million NOK in 2016 to 208.5 million NOK in 2025, despite a significant decline of 41.9% between 2016 and 2017. There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry, indicating relative stability. Prospects for new entrants appear positive, especially in areas with high sales growth and good operating margins.

Sales in the pharmacy industry in Karmøy have grown by 14.8% from 2024 to 2025, reaching 208.5 million NOK. There is a clear variation over the years, with a significant decline of 41.9% between 2016 and 2017, followed by a strong increase of 84.3% from 2017 to 2018. The number of employees has been relatively stable, with an average of approximately 75 in 2026. There was a slight decline of 7.9% between 2023 and 2024, but an increase of 1.4% from 2025 to 2026.

There are 8 companies in the pharmacy industry in Karmøy, with the following organizational forms:

The key companies include:

• Apotek 1 Åkra (Åkrehamn): 19 employees, sales of 38.7M NOK
• Boots Apotek Havfruen (Karmsund): 13 employees, sales of 35.0M NOK
• Vitusapotek Skudeneshavn (Skudeneshavn): 8 employees, sales of 23.6M NOK
• Boots Apotek Kopervik (Kopervik): 7 employees, sales of 15.0M NOK

There are no registered bankruptcies among these companies.

The distribution of pharmacy operations in Karmøy is spread across several neighborhoods:

Åkrehamn and Kopervik have the highest sales, while Avaldsnes and Veavågen have no activity.

The industry has shown relative stability over time, with no registered bankruptcies. The most stable companies are those with high sales volume and good operating margins, such as Apotek 1 Åkra (EBITDA margin of 7%) and Vitusapotek Skudeneshavn (EBITDA margin of 6%). However, there are several companies with zero sales, such as Apotek 1 Avaldsnes and Veakrossen Apotek As, which may indicate inactivity or newly established companies without operations.

Outlooks for new entrants in the pharmacy industry in Karmøy appear positive, especially in areas with high sales growth and good operating margins. The annual sales growth of 14.8% from 2024 to 2025 indicates a strong trend. However, new entrants should be aware that some existing companies have zero sales, which may indicate competitiveness challenges. SmartGrunder can help founders find optimal addresses in Karmøy for pharmacy operations based on market outlooks and operational data.

When compared to the broader crafts group in Karmøy, the pharmacy industry shows a slightly different development. The crafts group had total sales of 214.4 million NOK in 2025, while the pharmacy industry had 208.5 million NOK. The crafts group also had a slightly higher number of employees (79 in 2026 vs. 75 in the pharmacy industry). However, the pharmacy industry shows better operating margins in some of the most well-known companies. Examples of companies in the crafts group that are not pharmacies include:

• Rdh Eiendom As (medical/orthopedic goods store) – EBITDA of 1.0M NOK
• Optiker Hedegaard As Avd Kopervik (medical/orthopedic goods store) – EBITDA of 526.0K NOK

The pharmacy industry in Karmøy shows a mix of stability and growth, with good operating margins in some of the most well-known companies. Outlooks for new entrants appear positive, especially in areas with high sales growth. However, founders should be aware that some existing companies have zero sales, which may indicate competitiveness challenges. SmartGrunder can help find optimal addresses in Karmøy for pharmacy operations based on market outlooks and operational data.