Colruyt Group opens first Yoboo Lifestyle Pharmacy

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Colruyt Group is taking a brand new step in its well being technique with the inauguration of the primary Yoboo Lifestyle Pharmacy in Antwerp. In this prevention-focused pharmacy, prospects are given easy accessibility – by the pharmacist’s teaching strategy, mixed with an tailored and progressive product vary – to take even better management of their very own well being. The significance of a wholesome life-style and the best steerage is changing into essential to preserving our healthcare system, which is underneath growing strain, reasonably priced. Yoboo, a part of Colruyt Group, has been providing shoppers sensible instruments since 2021 to assist them take better-informed management of their very own well being: instantly through the Yoboo app, by their employer (through company programmes) and now additionally by the pharmacy.

A future-proof pharmacy the place prevention turns into tangible

The former Apotheek Noorderlaan has been fully redesigned as a Lifestyle Pharmacy. Alongside the trusted pharmaceutical providers, the pharmacy crew now structurally integrates life-style steerage into its work inside the vivid and welcoming areas. The totally tailored vary features a rigorously curated number of numerous merchandise, together with some meals merchandise and self-tests. Joris De Roover, CEO of Yoboo, explains: “Within the pharmacy, space has mainly been created for solutions and support that allow customers to work on three lifestyle themes¹: nutrition, exercise and rest. Lifestyle in the broadest sense is explicitly brought to the forefront here.”

The pharmacist’s teaching position takes centre stage

The position of a pharmacist can also be given an extra interpretation on this Lifestyle Pharmacy. Joris De Roover: “Yoboo’s ambition is to get people to work proactively on their own lifestyle. We think the pharmacy is an ideal lever for this: the pharmacist is the only health worker who can be reached all day without an appointment and who is used to listening to his patients and helping them to find solutions. By adding the nutrition/exercise/rest dimension through Yoboo, pharmacists can support and coach their patients even better and in a more personalised way.”

Yoboo has already been actively supporting pharmacists for some time with scientifically grounded training, practical methodologies and digital tools such as the Yoboo app and dashboard. Today, around 50 pharmacies are connected to the professional Yoboo ecosystem and more than 100 pharmacists have already been trained. De Roover adds: ““This has enabled us to build a valuable and unique network and strong support base, which we aim to expand further in order to achieve national coverage in the long term. In doing so, we are actively reaching out to independent pharmacies across Belgium.” Through the Yoboo app – which provides personalised actions, teaching and sensible well being exams – Colruyt Group’s well being associate additionally offers direct help to shoppers. In addition to pharmacies, Yoboo additionally actively helps firms in serving to their workers work purposefully on well-being by accessible, evidence-based programmes that strengthen power, resilience and sustainable behavioural change.

Lifestyle steerage as a lever for extra reasonably priced healthcare

The therapy of usually preventable power situations accounts for a big share of healthcare spending, whereas solely a restricted portion of that funds is dedicated to prevention. According to consultants, bodily locations the place individuals can simply entry recommendation and help could make a major distinction. Prof. Dr Dominique Vandijck * (as a professor of well being economics affiliated with Ghent University and a visiting professor at numerous different universities and schools) highlights the societal significance: “A pharmacy that, in addition to medication, also offers advice on lifestyle guidance responds to the need to strengthen prevention in a structural way. Concrete initiatives such as these – supported by organisations such as Colruyt Group – represent essential links in keeping our healthcare system affordable and future-proof.”

An necessary milestone inside Colruyt Group’s well being ambitions

Colruyt Group has held a stake in Yoboo since 2023. The opening of this primary Lifestyle Pharmacy matches inside the broader ambition to strengthen its place as a meals and well being retailer. Lisa Colruyt, answerable for Health at Colruyt Group, explains: “Our group has been working for many years on concrete solutions around nutrition, exercise and personal well-being, with the aim of lowering barriers for consumers. The lifestyle pharmacy is a logical extension of this. It makes health advice and coaching more accessible, simpler and more personal. Digital, personalised support – such as through the Yoboo app – will continue to grow within this approach.”

Colruyt Group at the moment operates 5 bodily pharmacies and continues to spend money on an built-in strategy to accessible well being options, during which manufacturers similar to Bio-Planet, Newpharma, Jims, Colruyt Group Academy, Bike Republic and Xtra every play an necessary position. Stefan Goethaert, CEO of Colruyt Group, concludes: “Our combination of digital and physical offerings is very powerful. It also remains a story of working together: if we collaborate intelligently across sectors, we can truly succeed in making a difference.”

* https://dominiquevandijck.be/hoe-redden-we-onze-begroting-zoek-een-alternatief-voor-pillen/