Money Buzz! Europa

Category: Prague

  • 339 million payment transactions at merchants in Czechia in Q1 2020

    339 million payment transactions at merchants in Czechia in Q1 2020

    The Bank Card Association (SBK) published some statistics on cards payment for the first quarter of 2020 in Czechia.

    At a certain stage of the cessation of life in the Czech Republic, it obviously had its effects on the fluctuating purchasing dynamics in the period under review.

    “Use of cards payments in the domestic market was affected by the effects of the coronavirus in the first quarter of 2020; on the one hand, there was a decline in the number and volume of transactions in brick-and-mortar stores, especially in March 2020, on the other hand, the number and volume of transactions in e-commerce grew,” says Roman Kotlán, Executive Director of the Bank Card Association.

    Main data compared with Q1 2019

    Number of payment terminals 232,541 (194,012 in 1.q 2019);

    Number of payment terminals for contactless payments 216,364 (189,946 in 1.q 2019);

    Number of e-shops accepting payment cards 12,359 (10,028 in 1.q 2019);

    Number of ATMs 5.669 (5.502 in 1.q 2019);

    Number of issued payment cards 12.8 mil (12.2 mil in 1.q 2019);

    Number of contactless payment cards issued 12.3 mil (11.5 mil in 1.q 2019).

    Cashless payments at merchants for the 1st quarter of 2020

    Number of payment transactions at merchants 339 mil (274 mil in 1.q 2019);

    Volume of payment transactions at merchants CZK 211.5 billion (CZK 172 billion in Q1 2019).

    Cash withdrawals from ATMs in the 1st quarter of 2020

    Number of cash withdrawals from ATMs 36.7 mil (39.7 mil in 1.q 2019);

    Volume of cash withdrawals from ATMs CZK 179.5 billion (CZK 173.1 billion in Q1 2019).

  • ParkDots brings smart parking in Pardubice, Czechia

    ParkDots brings smart parking in Pardubice, Czechia

    Residents and visitors to the city of Pardubice have the opportunity to use the mobile application ParkDots when parking.

    The parking system comes from the IT workshop of PosAm (Deutsche Telekom Group).

    In the ParkDots application, drivers in Pardubice can use the event called “Park for the Duck!”. Until the end of June, they will pay only CZK 1 for parking with ParkDots. Each user can use the action three times for one license plate.

  • Bonami: Sales of 6 million euros and optimistic forecasts for summer

    Bonami: Sales of 6 million euros and optimistic forecasts for summer

    In April, Bonami exceeded the initial forecast, achieving sales of 6 million euros in all markets where the company is present, of which 1 million euros on the Romanian market.

    “Even though the growth was initially slower, since mid April sales have followed a steady upward trend. In percentage, Bonami achieved sales 30% higher last month than in March, when the pandemic crisis broke out. We are also pleased with the results obtained in May, we expect an increase of 80% compared to the same period last year for the entire company and 120% for Romania “, Pavel Voparil, the company’s CEO, mentioned.

    Bonami has been thoroughly preparing for the summer 2020 season since the beginning of the year, with new spaces dedicated to storing stock products, so that they can be delivered to customers in the shortest time.

    In the coming months, Bonami is counting with a higher than originally expected growth, wanting to sell out the entire stock of products available, with the exception of large pieces of furniture.

    The company takes into account the current context, in which customers will travel less and will spend more time in their own home and garden, being willing to make significant investments to create a pleasant space.

    Bonami thus offers them the opportunity to buy everything they need for the house online, without having to go to physical stores.

    In order to improve the shopping experience, the company launched its own delivery services, but also express delivery of orders to its customers, in collaboration with Liftago.

    Thus, customers can opt for fast delivery, within 3-4 hours, of small products.

  • Over 9 million litres of Anti-COVID hand disinfectant produce in Czechia

    Over 9 million litres of Anti-COVID hand disinfectant produce in Czechia

    Czech companies were able to temporarily produce disinfectants produced according to a formula from the World Health Organisation (WHO), show Business and Investment Development Agency in Czech Republic.

    The temporary production of hand disinfectant called Anti-COVID. Production ended on 30 April 2020.

    The produced Anti-COVID disinfectant can be sold until 15 August 2020.

    Based on a government resolution and in cooperation with other ministries, the Ministry of Industry and Trade responded to the shortage of disinfectant agents on the market, when it was necessary to rapidly ensure the necessary production and supply.

    Thirty-three Czech companies thus produced more than nine million litres of Anti-COVID hand disinfectant in approximately six weeks on the basis of an extraordinary permit from the Ministry of Health and a decision of the Ministry of Agriculture on permitting special denaturation of alcohol.

    This involved a controlled regimen so that production and distribution would be rapid and safe and the disinfectant would be effective.

  • Czech ICP Group will build its third real estate project in the USA

    Czech ICP Group will build its third real estate project in the USA

    In Palm Beach Garden, Florida, ICP Group will build the Solera residential complex for more than 860 million crowns, which combines 136 above-standard housing units with commercial and social spaces, including a restaurant and a swimming pool.

    Palm Beach Garden is a city of 50.000 inhabitants near Miami, sometimes nicknamed the “Capital of Golf” thanks to its PGA headquarters and twelve courses, where the most prestigious tournaments have been played.

    Solera itself is located right in the heart of the city. It will offer a total of 136 two- to four-room apartments with an area of ​​65 to 112 m2. Under an agreement with the city, ten percent of the capacity will be leased at a discounted price to municipal and state administration employees with an income not exceeding 120% of the average.

    ICP has been investing in the USA since 2018

    ICP has been investing in the USA since 2018, when it bought the already functioning Belcan Property office building in West Palm Beach for more than half a billion crowns (with a loan from JP Morgan Chase). 

    Another project currently under construction is Seaward Landing in the southern Florida Keys. It is the construction of multi-generational houses with 45 units, which will be sold by the tenants as a return on investment. 

    Seaward Landing is a joint project of ICP CP and INDEX, in which they have jointly invested more than 270 million crowns.

  • Czechia GDP decreased by 3.6% in 1st quarter of 2020

    Czechia GDP decreased by 3.6% in 1st quarter of 2020

    According to a preliminary estimate by The Czech Statistical Office, the gross domestic product decreased in the Q1 2020 by 3.6%, quarter-on-quarter, and by 2.2%, year-on-year.

    The results of the Czech economy in the first three months of 2020 were significantly influenced by the global coronavirus pandemic and government restrictive measures related to it.

    The gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for price effects and seasonally adjusted decreased in the Q1 2020, according to the preliminary estimate, by 3.6% compared to the Q4 2019 and compared to the Q1 2019 it decreased by 2.2%.

    The negative y-o-y GDP development was caused mainly by a decrease in external demand and by lower capital formation. Increasing expenditure of the general government sector had a positive influence.

    The decrease of the gross value added formation was influenced the most by the development in manufacturing and in a group of economic activities of trade, transportation, and accommodation and food service activities.

    Employment remained unchanged in the Q1 2020, compared to the previous quarter; when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year, it decreased by 0.5%.

  • Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has taken a 5% stake in Macy’s

    Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has taken a 5% stake in Macy’s

    Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has taken a 5% stake in Macy’s and plans to engage management on ways to improve performance of the struggling U.S. retailer, shows Daily Beat NY.

    Kretinsky, an energy and media magnate, also purchased a 5.35% interest in the U.K.’s postal service, the Royal Mail.

    Daniel Kretinsky calls the participation a “strategic investment”: he also wants to reform the struggling company and aims to have constructive discussions with management and the board of directors, Retail Detail shows.

    Macy’s share price plummeted once again, having lost almost 70 % of its valuation this year.

    Daniel Kretinsky is CEO and 94% owner of Energetický a průmyslový holding (EPH), the largest energy group in Central Europe and co-owner and president of football club Sparta Prague.

  • The number of overnight stays for guests in Czechia decreased by 16.7%

    The number of overnight stays for guests in Czechia decreased by 16.7%

    In the Q1 2020, the total number of guests in collective accommodation establishments decreased by 22.2%, year-on-year, and the number of overnight stays of guests in collective accommodation establishments decreased by 16.7%.

    In January and February, accommodation was still reporting positive increments. In March, during which providing of accommodation services has been limited, the number of the accommodated dropped by two thirds.

    The number of overnight stays of guests in collective accommodation establishments reached 8.9 million nights in total in the Q1 2020, which was by 16.7% less compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

    The number of overnight stays of guests from the Czech Republic decreased by 13.1% and the number of overnight stays of guests from abroad decreased by a fifth.

    The number of overnight stays in hotels in total decreased by 18.9%, y-o-y, and in boarding houses by 11%. The number of overnight stays in tourist campsites was halved.

    As for the regional comparison, the numbers of arrivals dropped in all regions. Expressed as a percentage, the deepest drop of guests was in the Jihočeský Region (29.3%), in South Moravia (27.9%), and in Prague (27.4%).

    The highest number of guests from abroad came from Germany

    The numbers of arrivals decreased as for all source foreign markets. In the Q1 2020, the highest number of guests from abroad came from Germany.

    335 thousand of Germans were accommodated in the surveyed collective accommodation establishments, which was by 17.4% less than in the previous year.

    The number of Russians dropped by 11% and Poles by 15%. The number of guests from Slovakia decreased by a fourth. Arrivals of Italians dropped by 40%. The number of guests from China and South Korea more than halved.

  • Construction output decreased only slightly in March 2020

    Construction output decreased only slightly in March 2020

    In March 2020, the construction output decreased by 3.1%, m-o-m, in real terms. In the year-on-year comparison, it decreased by 2.3%. Compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, the production in building construction decreased by 5.4% (contribution −4.3 percentage points (p. p.)).

    The production of civil engineering construction increased by 10.4%, y-o-y (contribution +2.0 p. p.). 

    The average registered number of employees in construction decreased by 1.2%, y-o-y, in March 2020. Their average gross monthly nominal wage increased by 3.4%, y-o-y, in March 2020. 

    In March 2020, the planning and building control authorities granted 6 222 building permits; it was 14.0% down, y-o-y. The approximate value of the permitted constructions was CZK 29.0 billion and compared to the corresponding period of 2019 it decreased by 17.4%. 

    The number of dwellings started decreased in March 2020 by 30.2%, y-o-y, and reached the number of 2 947 dwellings. The number of dwellings started in family houses decreased by 23.5%. The number of dwellings started in multi-dwelling buildings decreased by 42.3%.

    The number of completed dwellings decreased by 6.8%, y-o-y, in March 2020 and amounted to 2 226 dwellings. The number of completed dwellings in family houses decreased by 14.5%, while the number of completed dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings increased by 20.1%.

  • Planeo Elektro stores will be open on Liberation Day

    Planeo Elektro stores will be open on Liberation Day

    • Ninety Planeo Elektro consumer electronics stores in Czech Republic will be open on public holidays, May 8, 2020.
    • A special Black Friday discount will last until the end of the holiday weekend.

    Each of the stores is equipped with disinfectants and disposable protective equipment. Information about recommended behavior in the store will be communicated to customers at regular intervals through an audio spot, banners on TV screens and through information posters. 

    They will remind the principles of safe shopping – the use of drapes, disposable gloves, disinfection, compliance with the minimum recommended distance from other persons at a distance of 2 m and the use of contactless payments. 

    An exception is the five stores of the Planeo Elektro network, which – due to their location in shopping centers – remain closed until May 11, when the shopping centers will be reopened as part of the release of coronavirus measures. These are the following stores:

    • Brno – Kaufland, Kamenice 745;
    • Kladno – Kaufland, Italská 50;
    • Litoměřice – OC Na Soutoku, Želetická 2277;
    • Ostrava – Avion Shopping Park, Rudná 3119/124;
    • Teplice – OC Fontana, Namesti Svobody 3312.
  • PENNY donates 2.500.000 Kč worth of food

    PENNY donates 2.500.000 Kč worth of food

    The retail chain with the highest number of stores in Czechia has prepared a project that will help improve the situation of food banks in the next five months.

    PENNY will help the Czech Federation of Food Banks with a central warehouse in Modletice, near Prague. This means an aid worth almost 11 million Kč over five years.

    Through PENNY, 200 tons of aid has reached the central warehouse of the Czech Federation of Food Banks in the last two years. 

    From the beginning of 2018 until the end of April this year, PENNY alone delivered approximately 120 tonnes of aid to food banks. 

    Customers donated an additional 83 tonnes of aid to the collections through one of the 60 participating stores. 

    Donated products that help the most include soups, rice and legumes, pasta, baby food, canned food, long-life milk, oil and basic and children’s drugstores.

  • Sale of non-food goods significantly decreased due to coronavirus in Czechia

    Sale of non-food goods significantly decreased due to coronavirus in Czechia

    Results for March 2020 were influenced by measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus because of which many stores with mostly non-food goods were closed for part of the month or their operation was limited.

    The most significant year-on-year sales decrease (drop by 64.9%) occurred in stores with clothing, footwear and leather goods and in stores with cultural and recreation goods (drop by 47.1%).

    Sales decreased also in retail sale in specialised stores with information and communication equipment (drop by 29.7%) and in retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores (drop by 22.0%).

    Sales for sale of goods via mail order houses or via Internet increased (+20.8%). Growth of sales was reported also for the sale of dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods (+9.1%).

    The above mentioned overall growth of sales for food was entirely owing to retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (growth of sales by 5.2%).

    Sales in retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores decreased by 17.3%.