Since its foundation on 14 February 1980, our specialist drugstore retailer has developed into an innovative company that is expanding beyond Austria's borders with its modern shops.
It was in Vienna's Goldschmiedgasse in the 1st district that the first BIPA shop opened on 14 February 1980. The "cheap perfumery", BIPA for short, quickly established itself as a popular destination for inexpensive cosmetic products and perfume novelties. Part of our 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, and has also been active in Croatia since 2007.
From Austrian drugstore pioneer to international retail brand
BIPA can look back on an impressive history of growth since welcoming its first customers 45 years ago. "It all started with perfumes and decorative cosmetics at affordable prices - 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. With them, we ensure that drugstore shopping remains good value for money," says Markus Geyer.
From detergents, cleaning products, skin care and cosmetics to dental care, pet food and baby products, our 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 successively - even beyond Austria's borders: in 2007, BIPA expanded to Croatia, where it now operates almost 140 branches. Since 2011, all items have also been available in the online shop. In addition, the Click & Collect service, where products can be ordered in the online shop and collected from the shop, was rolled out from 2015 and is now available throughout Austria.
"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 offers 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.
New shops are designed to be energy-efficient with energy-saving lighting and climate-friendly heating and cooling technology as well as 100% green electricity. Some of the shops are equipped with photovoltaic systems.
BIPA managing directors Andreas Persigehl and Markus Geyer (from left) Photo: Karl Schrotter
10 years after opening its first shop, BIPA began developing its own 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, the range was expanded 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 an essential 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.
Our Austrian drugstore retailer takes its responsibility for sustainability seriously, and not just 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. Since April 2025, vouchers for period products have also been given out free of charge to employees to support them financially and encourage discussion on the topic of menstruation and other women-specific issues. The company attaches great importance to a working environment in which employees feel comfortable. The proportion of women in the workforce is 98 per cent.
It is often many small moments that make life beautiful - this is the motto of the advertising campaign for the anniversary year. And BIPA will continue to make the lives of its customers more beautiful, not only in the anniversary year but also in the future.
Live shopping sets new trends in e-commerce
BIPA is setting new trends in e-commerce with the first live shopping event in Austria. While the concept is already a popular shopping trend internationally, the Austrian drugstore retailer is introducing this innovative form of shopping to the Austrian market for the first time. "In an increasingly digitalised world, our goal is to always be one step ahead. With the first live shopping event in Austria, we are setting an example of how new technologies and sophisticated delivery enable a new way of shopping - direct, personal and innovative," explains Andreas Persigehl, Managing Director of BIPA. The first "Live Live Shopping" event took place on 20 March 2025. In an exclusive show on BIPA's Instagram and Facebook channels, influencers Christl Clear and Magdalena Stefancic presented the new Minecraft special edition from NYX Cosmetics. The speciality: Viewers in Vienna were able to order the products via the Foodora app during the live stream and have them delivered to their homes immediately - within around 30 minutes.
Image: First live shopping event with Magdalena Stefancic (@BIPA Parfumerien Gesellschaft m.b.H.)
