Money Buzz! Europa

Category: Business

  • Waterdrop has reached over 1 million customers worldwide

    Waterdrop has reached over 1 million customers worldwide

    To date, Waterdrop sold more than 200 million reusable products, Microdrinks, and containers to more than 1 million consumers worldwide.

    The Austrian start-up created Microdrinks (cubes with natural flavours and water-soluble plant and fruit extract).

    Waterdrop is present worldwide in 12 markets, 11 markets in Europe (Germany, Austria, UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Romania), and the US.

    Recently, the company launched two new varieties of Microtea drinks, an organic product made from natural ingredients and pure tea extract.

    The products are available online and complement the existing range of four flavours. Each cube dissolves in 400-600 ml of hot water, at the recommended temperature of 60 degrees.

    For EU customers, cold microdrinks prices start at EUR 8,90 per 12 pcs and EUR 7,90 per 12 pcs for microtea.

  • Czechs retailer Rohlik to enter the Romanian home delivery market

    Czechs retailer Rohlik to enter the Romanian home delivery market

    Rohlik, the largest online food retailer in the Czech Republic, is preparing to launch on the Romanian market.

    The platform offers home delivery for over 8.000 food items within a maximum of 2 hours after the order was placed.

    On the Romanian market, Rohlik will operate under the Sezamo.ro brand. Currently, more than 30 positions are available in the Bucharest office.

    Available jobs are for positions such as Tax Manager, HR, Warehouse Manager, PR Manager, Social Media Specialist, Brand Manager, etc.

    Sezamo.ro operates its own warehouse of 12.000 sqm (of which 4.000 sqm of space with controlled temperature), located in CTPark Bucharest North.

    Rohlik is a brand owned by the Czech retailer Velka Pecka and is present in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.

    TO READ: Czech online supermarket Rohlik enters Austrian market

  • European Union boasts more than 80.000 startups

    European Union boasts more than 80.000 startups

    EU27 boasts more than 80.000 startups, of which 51 are unicorns. The investments raised by European startups totalled 41 billion US dollars in 2020, up from USD 36,6 billion US in 2019. 

    It has been reported that during Q1 2021 27 innovative European companies got a valuation of more than 1 billion US dollars, based on their latest funding round.

    However, a closer look reveals that only 7 of them are indeed present in the EU27 and committed to remain there after the funding round, which paints a much bleaker picture.

    In the same period, the US produced 67 new unicorns.

  • Two Lithuanians created the ”Zoomer” pullover, for video calls with style

    Two Lithuanians created the ”Zoomer” pullover, for video calls with style

    Two Lithuanian creative professionals, a personal branding consultant and fashion designer created the ”Zoomer” pullover, specifically for video calls.

    The pullover is designed to look good both in business and personal video calls, and provides a colourful alternative to business attire.

    The jersey knit pullover comes in five different colours and may be customized with a designer miniature.

    For Guoda Sakalauskienė, one of the pullover’s creators, ”Zoomer” has a dual function: a solution for the virtual dress code and a personal branding statement.

    Whether in real life or online, first impressions matter, and Zoomer helps to make that meeting memorable thanks to a wide range of possible transformations, said Mrs. Sakalauskienė

    The proceeds from the sale of the first 20 ”Zoomers” and 10% from any subsequent sale will go to a local charity supporting families in crisis..

  • Tohani made over 1 million bottles of Fetească Neagră wine in 2020

    Tohani made over 1 million bottles of Fetească Neagră wine in 2020

    Tohani Romania has exceeded the production of 1 million bottles of Fetească Neagră, the best-selling red wine variety in Romania.

    Investments in the production of this wine amounts to 6 million euros.

    Tohani has the largest cultivated area with Fetească Neagră in the Dealu Mare area, of approximately 100 hectares.

    Apogeum Fetească Neagră, one of the wines produced by the Tohani Romania team, was placed among 1% of the best wines in the world.

    The investment in the Fetească Neagră vineyard amounted to 3 million euros, while the dedicated winemaking line required an investment of 1 million euros.

    2 million euros have been allocated to support wines produced with this variety – through local marketing and international presence.

    Today, Feteasca Neagră became the star of the vineyard, in 2020 representing 75% of the total red wine sold by Tohani.

    Who drinks Fetească Neagră wine

    In Romania, Feteasca Neagră has become the most popular variety of red wine, being consumed mainly by Gen X and Millennials, who live in urban areas.

    Nationally, the areas where the Feteasca Neagră de Tohani is most frequently consumed are Bucharest, Prahova, Cluj and Brașov.

    For 2021, Tohani aims to maintain the production of Fetească Neagră at about 1 million bottles.

  • Bonami has a new sales target for 2021, EUR 96 million

    Bonami has a new sales target for 2021, EUR 96 million

    Bonami had set a target of EUR 77 million in sales for 2021, but after an increase in sales, it changed this threshold to EUR 96 million.

    Pavel Vopařil, CEO of Bonami, explained: After the first three months of 2021, we had to re-evaluate the forecast. We are growing significantly faster

    Some categories stood out, such as sofas, mattresses or pillows, which indicates that people still want to invest to make their home more comfortable.

    Also, garden accessories and furniture have grown in importance, and due to the fact that Bonami has introduced its own brand.

    For the near future, the company focuses on several projects that will be implemented in the coming months, sunch as optimizing the website and delivery methods.

    Depending on the evolution of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed, Bonami will evaluate the opportunity to open stores in new locations.

  • 73% of business leaders say business has been affected by the pandemic

    73% of business leaders say business has been affected by the pandemic

    Almost three quarters (73%) of the business leaders who responded to a survey said that their business had been affected by the health crisis.

    Bbut that the effect had not been quite as severe as they anticipated in March 2020. At that time, 99% of companies expected a negative impact, according to PwC.

    For 20% of global organisations, the crisis has had a positive impact, with their business being in a better place today than it was before the start of the pandemic.

    The effect of the health crisis has varied between countries and industries, but few will emerge unscathed from this period.

    The most affected sectors have been leisure, entertainment and higher education.

    The manufacturing and automotive industries, public and government services, financial services and the energy, utilities and resources sectors also reported negative effects.

    Technology and health companies have fared much better.

    Only 35% of the respondents reported having a crisis response plan that was ”very relevant”, thus indicating that the majority of organisations did not have specific plans in place for a pandemic situation.

    Thus, currently, 95% of business leaders report that their crisis management capabilities need to be improved, with 70% planning to increase their investment in building resilience.

    Over 80% of the business leaders across all sectors and territories agreed that their response to the crisis took into consideration the physical and emotional needs of their employees.

  • Half of global CEOs don’t expect to see a return to ”normal” until 2022

    Half of global CEOs don’t expect to see a return to ”normal” until 2022

    The 2021 KPMG CEO Outlook Pulse Survey finds that almost half (45 percent) of global executives do not expect to see a return to a ”normal” course of business until sometime in 2022.

    As opposed, nearly one-third (31 percent) anticipate this will happen later this year.

    The changes prompted by the pandemic have resulted in one-quarter (24 percent) of CEOs saying that their business model has been changed forever by the global pandemic.

    A majority (55 percent) of CEOs are concerned about employees’ access to a COVID-19 vaccine, which is influencing their outlook of when employees will return to the workplace.

    Interesting, 90 percent of CEOs are considering asking employees to report when they have been vaccinated.

    However, one-third (34 percent) of global executives are worried about misinformation on COVID-19 vaccine safety and the potential this may have on employees choosing not to have it administered.

    Government and vaccination rates driving decision-making

    Three-quarters (76 percent) of CEOs see government encouragement for businesses to return to ‘normal’ as the prompt for businesses to ask staff to return to the workplace.

    In addition, 61 percent of global executives said that they will also need to see a successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout in key markets before taking any action toward a return to offices.

    When employees can safely return to workplaces, one-fifth of companies (21 percent) are looking to institute additional precautionary measures.

    Global CEOs are less likely to downsize physical footprint compared to 6 months ago

    The research finds that only 17 percent of global executives are looking to downsize their office space as a result of the pandemic.

    In contrast, 69 percent of CEOs surveyed in August 2020 said they planned to reduce their office space over 3 years.

    Global executives remain apprehensive about a fully remote workforce

    CEOs are considering what the new reality will look like, but post-COVID, only three in 10 (30 percent) of global executives are considering a hybrid model of working for their staff.

    As a result, only one-fifth (21 percent) of businesses are looking to hire talent that works predominantly remotely, which is a significant shift from last year (73 percent in 2020).

  • Globalworth net operating income increased by 6.5% to EUR 157.3 million

    Globalworth net operating income increased by 6.5% to EUR 157.3 million

    Globalworth net operating income increased by 6.5% to €157.3 million in 2020 and a total combined portfolio value which remained unchanged at €3.0 billion.

    The company took-up or extended / renegotiated 303.5k sqm of commercial spaces in portfolio of high-quality properties, representing c.25% of the total standing commercial GLA.

    The commercial occupancy remained high at 90.9% (91.7% including tenant options) as at year-end.

    Annualised contracted rent reached €183.4 million, of which 91.3% from office and industrial properties.

    Rate of collections for rents invoiced and due remained high at 99.0% for the year.

  • TBI Bank to offer consumer lending services in Lithuania

    TBI Bank to offer consumer lending services in Lithuania

    TBI Bank, with core markets in Bulgaria, Romania, and banking operations in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Poland, enters the Lithuanian market.

    The move is in line with the bank’s overall business strategy through which it is enlarging its European digital footprint in the Nordics, Baltics and Central Europe.

    In Lithuania, the bank will digitally offer consumer lending services without opening a branch.

    This way, TBI Bank gains the opportunity to diversify its product portfolio, while offering customers more financial alternatives.

  • H&M sales rose in the first half of this month, after stores reopening

    H&M sales rose in the first half of this month, after stores reopening

    H&M sales rose in the first half of this month, after COVID-19 restrictions eased in some markets, allowing the reopening of stores.

    Net sales fell 27%, or 21% in local currency, to SEK 40.1 billion ($ 4.72 billion).

    Analysts expected a 30% decline in sales between December 2020 and February 2021, H&M’s first fiscal quarter.

    Local currency sales rose 10% in the first half of this month amid store reopening, including the company’s largest market, Germany.

    As of March 13, about 900 of the approximately 5,000 H&M stores were closed due to restrictions.

  • Sphera Franchise Group sales at RON 710.8 million in 2020, down by 25.6%

    Sphera Franchise Group sales at RON 710.8 million in 2020, down by 25.6%

    Sphera Franchise Group reported sales of RON 710.8 million in 2020, representing a decrease of 25.6% compared to the performance in 2019.

    The group ended Q4 with a restaurant operating profit of RON 14.5 million and a net profit of RON 2.4 million.

    Sphera ended 2020 with restaurant operating profit of RON 49.3 million, 60.4% lower than the year before, and with a normalized EBITDA of RON 44.1 million.

    Sales through own delivery channels, as well as through online platforms of aggregators increased from 5.9% in 2019 to 25.3% in 2020.

    For KFC Romania, the share increased from 3% in 2019, to 23%, for Pizza Hut it doubled, going from 25%, to 50% in 2020 and for Taco Bell it surged from 2% to 37% in 2020.

    In Moldova, there were no sales for delivery in 2019, yet in 2020 the share of delivery order reached 26%.

    KFC Italy had insignificant (below 0.5%) number of deliveries in 2019, while in 2020, this channel reached 14%.

    In the course of 2020, the group opened 5 new KFC restaurants in Romania, 3 new KFC stores in Italy and 1 new Taco Bell in Romania.

    Following negotiations with Yum!, Brands Inc., KFC Romania has 6 more restaurants to open by the end of 2021.

    At the end of 2020, Sphera had 158 restaurants, of which 138 were in Romania, 18 in Italy and 2 in the Republic of Moldova.