Proshop reaches 300 stores: 17 openings across 2025 and 2026

Proshop, the Crai Group retailer specialising in household and personal care products, has reached 300 stores in total. According to a report published by Distribuzione Moderna on 25 September 2026, the network recorded 17 new openings over the previous 20 months, including 11 in 2025 and six in the first half of 2026. For readers interested in franchising, this expansion news should be read without assuming that growth in a brand’s store network necessarily means growth through franchising.

Proshop’s expansion in figures

The key figure is the size of the network: 300 stores specialising in household and personal care products, a retail segment known in Italy as the drugstore channel. The 17 reported openings took place during 2025 and the first half of 2026, as part of the retailer’s expansion plan across Italy.

The timeline distinguishes two periods: 11 openings across the whole of 2025 and six in the first six months of 2026. These periods differ in length and do not allow a like-for-like annual comparison. The first-half result should therefore neither be presented as the total for 2026 nor used to infer a year-end target that the company has not announced.

The total of 300 stores also needs to be interpreted carefully. It is the overall size of the network reported in the news, not the number of stores opened during the period. The report does not provide a balance of openings against any closures, so the 17 openings cannot automatically be treated as a net increase of the same size.

A retailer focused on household and personal care

Proshop belongs to the Crai Group and operates in specialist neighbourhood retail. According to the available research, its retail identity centres on household and personal care products. This is the segment in which its network is expanding.

For those following the franchise sector, the news offers a concrete example of a specialist retailer’s expansion. Its relevance lies in the combination of a clearly defined product range and a retail presence that has reached 300 stores. These factors describe the network’s positioning and scale, but do not, on their own, demonstrate the profitability of individual outlets.

The source does not identify the locations of the new stores, their floor areas or the investment involved. It is therefore not possible to map the expansion, identify the regions most affected or describe the format of the new outlets. The documented picture is one of a strengthening national network, without further geographical detail.

Store openings and franchising: an essential distinction

The main information gap for a reader interested in becoming a franchisee concerns how the stores are operated. The report does not specify how many stores are company-operated and how many, if any, are franchised, nor does it clarify the model used for the 17 new openings. It would therefore be misleading to describe them as 17 new franchise businesses.

This distinction does not diminish the value of the news, but it does define its significance. Growth in a retail network and growth in a franchise network are different things: the former concerns the brand’s expanding presence, while the latter also requires information about the relationship between the retailer and independent business owners.

The available material contains no entry terms, applicant requirements or franchisee recruitment programmes. The announcement therefore documents Proshop’s expansion, not a franchise offer. For the franchise community, keeping these separate is essential to distinguish company news from a clearly described business opportunity.

What to check before assessing a business opportunity

Anyone considering Proshop as a potential business prospect can start with the confirmed facts: its membership of the Crai Group, its focus on household and personal care, its 300 stores and the 17 openings during the stated period. Moving from observation to a business assessment would, however, require further information.

The first questions concern whether a franchise model is available, how the stores are operated and which areas are being targeted for expansion. Only then would it make sense to investigate investment requirements, costs, support and contractual terms, rather than making assumptions based on other networks.

In practice: the 300-store milestone indicates the scale Proshop has reached. Before treating it as a franchise opportunity, prospective investors should check directly with the retailer whether such an option exists and on what terms.