Money Buzz! Europa

Category: Vienna

  • SPAR Austria, €117.000 bonus payment for local egg farmers

    SPAR Austria, €117.000 bonus payment for local egg farmers

    SPAR Austria is rewarding about 130 Austrian egg farmers for their ongoing commitment to animal welfare with a combined €117.000 bonus payment.

    Over 130 Austrian egg farms, cooperating with SPAR, are regularly checked and are rewarded every two years for their strong commitment to quality standards.

    Based on these reviews, SPAR will pay the laying hen farms about €117.000 for 2018 and 2019. The payment of the bonus can amount to up to €1.600 per producer.

    On behalf of SPAR Austria, independent supervisory bodies regularly check all farmers and suppliers delivering eggs for SPAR Own Brands.

    The central criteria are the use of GMO-free feed, the freshness of the eggs, hygiene standards throughout the entire production chain, product quality, and animal welfare standards.

    ”With the egg bonus, we want to show farmers our appreciation for their agricultural products, their valuable work, and personal commitment”, said SPAR Austria’s CEO, Dr Gerhard Drexel.

  • Less people on minimum income scheme in Austria

    Less people on minimum income scheme in Austria

    A total of 267.683 persons were supported by the minimum income scheme (“Mindestsicherung”) in 2019, as Statistics Austria reports.

    After the strong annual growth until 2016 and a stagnation in 2017, the number of supported persons decreased by 21.963 (-7.6%) compared to the previous year.

    The total expenditure (subsistence, housing needs, protection in case of sickness) in 2019 amounted to €913 million (-28 million or -3.0% compared to 2018).

    The major part thereof (€607 million) was spent in Vienna. This corresponds with the fact that also most recipients lived in Vienna (64%, annual average).

    The minimum income scheme comprises benefits to ensure people’s means of subsistence and housing needs, and to afford protection in case of sickness, pregnancy and childbirth.

  • 422.910 job seekers were registered in Austria at the end of August

    422.910 job seekers were registered in Austria at the end of August

    At the end of August, 422,910 job seekers (incl. trainees) were registered with the Labour Market Service (AMS). This was 42,272, or 27.9%, higher than in the previous year.

    The unemployment rate by national definition rose by 2.2% points, at 9.0%, compared with August 2019.

    The unemployment rate according to Eurostat was 5.2% (+0.7% points) in July 2020.

    A total of 457.177 people were able to return to work in 2020. An estimated 3.768.000 people, or about 70.000 fewer than in August 2019 and -1.8%, were in employment at the end of August 2020.

  • The number of nights spent in Austria decreased by 17.4% in July

    The number of nights spent in Austria decreased by 17.4% in July

    In Austria, the number of nights spent in July 2020 decreased by 17.4% to 15.50 million, as preliminary results from Statistics Austria show.

    While the number of nights spent by non-resident guests fell by 28.7% to 9.93 million, that of resident guests rose by 15.2% to the highest value ever recorded for the second most important month of the summer season (5.57 million).

    Apart from the increase in nights spent by residents, the relatively small decline in German nights spent by 4.3% to 6.73 million is remarkable in view of the COVID-19 crisis.

    The overall decrease in nights spent in July is mainly due to the absence of guests from other important countries of origin, including the Netherlands (-21.7%), Belgium (-30.3%), the Czech Republic (-28.1%), Poland (-27.8%), Hungary (-43.5%), France (-55.7%) and Italy (-66.4%).

    Nights spent by tourists from the USA, Sweden and Russia even fell by more than 90%.

    Arrivals in accommodation establishments also decreased by 26.6% to 3.95 million, with the number of non-resident guests falling by 40.9% and that of resident guests rising by 9.4%.

    High declines in Vienna, increases of nights spent in Burgenland, Styria and Carinthia

    With -73.3%, the decline of nights spent in the federal capital Vienna was most pronounced in July. Declines were also registered in Lower Austria (-22.0%), Upper Austria (-16.7%), Salzburg (-21.5%), Tyrol (-14.3%) and Vorarlberg (-10.8%).

    By contrast, the July result developed positively in the federal states of Burgenland (+4.1%), Styria (+2.0%) and Carinthia (+0.1%), with nights spent by domestic guests contributing to this growth (+19.7%, +22.8% and +35.6%, respectively).

    The development of nights spent by foreign guests was negative in all federal states.

  • Austria: Total production quantity of animal products at 4.86 million tons

    Austria: Total production quantity of animal products at 4.86 million tons

    Austria’s agriculture produced about 910.300 tons of meat calculated in carcass weight (the same compared to the previous year), 3.82 million tons of cow, sheep and goat milk (-1%), 2.09 billion eggs (+1%) and 4.400 tons of fish (±0%), as Statistics Austria’s supply balance sheets show.

    Thus, the total production quantity of animal products consisted of 4.86 million tons in 2019 (-1% against 2018).

    Domestic consumption amounted to 832.600 tons of meat (93.8 kg per capita), 729.600 tons of drinking milk (82.2 kg per capita), 2.15 billion eggs (242 pieces per capita) and 69.900 tons of fish (7.9 kg per capita).

    To meet domestic demand, 377 200 tons of meat (+2%), 68 200 tons of drinking milk including yoghurt (+5%), 125 800 tons of cheese (+4%) and 74 400 tons of fish (+1%) were imported.

    517 500 tons of meat (+3%), 532 500 tons of drinking milk (+2%) and 153 200 tons of cheese (+1%) were exported during the same period.

    The degree of self-sufficiency was 170% for drinking milk, 113% for cheese, 109% for meat, 86% for eggs and 69% for butter.

    The total agricultural foreign trade volume (for both crop and animal sector) amounted to 25.0 bn euros (imports: 12.7 bn euros; exports: 12.3 bn euros).

    This corresponds to a share of 8.0% of the total foreign trade volume (311.3 bn euros).

  • Austrian Post increased its share in Turkish Aras Cargo to 80%

    Austrian Post increased its share in Turkish Aras Cargo to 80%

    Austrian Post has held a 25 percent stake in the Turkish parcel services provider Aras Kargo a.s. since 2013. At that time, the basic intention and understanding with the Aras family, founders and owners of Aras Kargo, was for Austrian Post to increase its shareholding.

    The formal closing of the transaction to raise Austrian Post’s stake to 80 percent took place on 25th August 2020. Baran Aras will continue to own a 20 percent shareholding in Aras Kargo and will also serve on its Executive Board.

    “I am pleased that the increase in our shareholding in Aras Kargo, which was agreed upon many years ago, has finally taken place. Turkey is an attractive, dynamic, and strongly growing market”, says Georg Pölzl, Chief Executive Officer of Austrian Post.  
     
    The company plans to further expand the business of Aras Kargo in the future.

  • Billa opens flagship store on Vienna’s Michaelerplatz

    Billa opens flagship store on Vienna’s Michaelerplatz

    The new Billa flagship store on Michaelerplatz is located in a very special location – the premises of the former Café Griensteidl.

    Billa has captured the cultural past with an extraordinary shop concept.

    On a sales area of around 700 sq m, divided into two levels, customers are offered a selected range of regional, national and international products.

    It is the ninth branch in Vienna’s city centre.

    26 new jobs have been created at this location from a total of 36 employees employed in the branch.

  • Powertrain developer AVL receives EIB top-up financing of €50 million

    Powertrain developer AVL receives EIB top-up financing of €50 million

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €50 million loan to AVL List GmbH (AVL). The Austrian company specialises in the development of innovative powertrain systems for global automotive and transport industries.

    The EIB financing comes on top of a €70 million loan signed in December 2017 to support AVL’s electric drive-related activities, including selected R&D projects for hybrid and fully electric powertrains, as well as advanced driver assistance systems for connected and autonomous vehicles.

    AVL List GmbH is the world’s largest independent company for the development, simulation and testing of powertrain systems (hybrid, combustion engines, transmission, electric motors, batteries and software) for passenger cars, trucks and stationary high-performance engines.

    AVL has more than 11.500 employees all over the world. In 2019, sales revenues reached €1.97 billion.

  • New Ikea catalogue to be ordered online in Austria

    New Ikea catalogue to be ordered online in Austria

    If you want to have the 292 pages Ikea catalogue delivered at your house, you must be quick. This year, Austrian edition is avaible on order, Heute says.

    This is possible from 31 August, but the catalogue will be available in Ikea furniture stores as early as 24 August.

    The circulation is limited to 533.100 pieces, which is 75 percent less than in previous years. In addition, a digital version is available on the internet.

    Edition keyword is „green”, that runs even more strongly than before as a common thread through the entire product range. There are 1.603 products made of recycled glass, paper or plastic as well as recycled cotton in the catalogue.

  • New Amazon distribution center opens in Vienna-Liesing

    New Amazon distribution center opens in Vienna-Liesing

    Amazon’s second distribution center employs around 120 people in the 7.900-square-metre warehouse in Vienna-Liesing, says Vienna.at.

    Around 400 drivers from smaller delivery companies will be able to deliver the parcels to Austrian customers. The online retailer is thus becoming more independent of industry heavyweights such as Austrian Post and DHL.

    Amazon distribution centers are not warehouses

    The parcels arrive from foreign Amazon logistics and sorting centers and are then picked up by the external delivery companies and delivered to customers.

    It is Amazon’s second major distribution center in Austria. Less than two years ago, the company opened its first parcel centre in Großebersdorf in the Mistelbach district.

  • EIB and Erste Bank, 300 million euros for affordable housing in Austria

    EIB and Erste Bank, 300 million euros for affordable housing in Austria

    European Investment Bank (EIB) has promised to Erste Bank 150 million euros in funding to support affordable housing in Austria.

    Erste Bank will add a further 150 million Euros to this, which will consequently see it contribute a total of 300 million Euros to social housing over the next three years.

    The agreement, which has so far signed off on 100 million Euros and approved a further 50 million, essentially involves granting financing, with interest fixed for up to 28 years, for new subsidised or non-profit rental units, thereby securing rents for nearly three decades.

    The money is primarily to be used in cities where the demand for affordable housing is particularly high.

    Based on this model, framework financing for investments of 200 million Euros was agreed on between the EIB and Erste Bank back in May 2019.

    After 14 months, almost all this funding has now been allocated.

    It has been/is being used to build around 2,200 affordable housing units for approx. 3,900 residents, such the ”Vielschichtig Wohnen” project conducted by the Österreichisches Volkswohnungswerk housing construction company in Vienna’s 21st municipal district.

  • New XXXLutz and Möbelix furniture stores in Wolfsberg to open this fall

    New XXXLutz and Möbelix furniture stores in Wolfsberg to open this fall

    The opening of Möbelix Wolfsberg at the end of September and XXXLutz Wolfsberg at the end of October are getting closer.

    XxxLutz’s sales area extends over 3 floors. There will also be a large, new and modern restaurant in the new store.

    Möbelix Wolfsberg is located next to the XXXLutz building and offers furniture at an attractive price-performance ratio.

    The group has invested around 16.5 million euros in the new furniture stores at its Wolfsberg site.