Money Buzz! Europa

Category: Warsaw

  • Abris signs agreement to acquire majority stake in Apaczka

    Abris signs agreement to acquire majority stake in Apaczka

    Abris has signed an agreement to purchase the majority of shares in Apaczka, the largest e-commerce delivery solutions provider in Poland.

    The transaction is subject to the standard approval procedure of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK).

    Headquartered in Warsaw, Apaczka functions as a technology platform and an integrator, offering comprehensive shipment services for e-commerce stores, SMEs and small office / home office clients.

    Over the past decade, Apaczka has made close to 30 million shipments for more than 160.000 customers. The company has achieved increased revenues over recent years, exceeding €30m in 2019.

    Abris made successful investments in Polish e-commerce logistics business Siódemka, and Romanian courier services provider Urgent Cargus.

  • Castorama Poland swaps plants for electrical waste

    Castorama Poland swaps plants for electrical waste

    Castorama Poland expands its store-wide take-back scheme. All electrical and battery-operated items are included, no matter where they were bought, such as washing machines, refrigerators, phones, power tools, kitchen appliances and computers.

    Customers can take them to their local store and receive heather plants in return.

    Electrical items cannot be thrown away with household rubbish, and larger items especially can be difficult to transport to municipal recycling centres.

    Due to its popularity in previous years, Castorama has expanded the scheme to all of its 82 stores this year and expects to give out 400.000 plants in return for its customers’ old appliances.

  • Airly raises $2m pre-seed round. The financing was led by Giant Ventures

    Airly raises $2m pre-seed round. The financing was led by Giant Ventures

    Airly announced a $2m pre-seed round to scale its AI-powered air quality platform globally. The financing was led by Giant Ventures.

    Leading angel investors also participated, including: members of Sir Richard Branson’s and Sir Ronald Cohen’s families; Pipedrive co-founder Martin Tajur; Cherry Ventures partner and former Spotify CMO Sophia Bendz; former Gojek CMO Piotr Jakubowski; and Henkel board member Konstantin von Unger.

    Existing investor Wojtek Burkot (ex-Engineering Director at Google) also participated in the round via his fund Bitspiration Booster. Poland’s National Center of Research & Development provided additional funding.

    How Airly system workes

    Airly provides accurate, ultra-local, predictive air quality data for governments, companies and individuals to understand the air their communities breathe. 

    Airly’s sensors act as a global warning system for pollution at street level and in real time. Its proprietary breakthroughs in sensor miniaturization and machine learning allow it to monitor more pollutants with greater accuracy, at lower cost, and in more places. 

    The system involves dense networks of sensors that measure particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) and gaseous compounds (NO2, SO2, O3 and CO).

    It provides users live access to this data through an intuitive mobile app and online map. 

    Airly’s AI-powered air quality forecast function allows it to predict the flow of pollutants for the next 24 hours with a verifiability of up to 95%. 

    Airly has more than 10.000 data points in over 30 countries

    Airly’s customers comprise over 400 local governments and cities including Berlin, Jakarta, Oslo, Rome, Athens and Krakow, corporates such as Philips, PwC, Motorola, Aviva, Veolia and Skanska, as well as schools, universities, and charitable foundations.

    Recently launched API allows media, technology, and finance companies to access live air quality data globally. 

  • 7.3 million tourists were accommodated in Poland in H1 2020

    7.3 million tourists were accommodated in Poland in H1 2020

    In the first half of 2020, 7.3 million tourists were accommodated in tourist accommodation establishments and 19.4 million overnight stays were provided for them, latest Statistics Poland data show.

    Compared to the same period 2019, this was lower by 54.3% and 51.5% respectively.

    Compared to the first half of 2019, the occupancy rate of accommodation establishments also decreased from 37.6% to 23.8%.

    Tourism is one of the sectors directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions
    on the movement of people introduced in Poland in mid-March this year and the reduction
    in activities related to the provision of hotel services since the beginning of April resulted
    in a significant decrease in the number of persons accommodated in tourist accommodation
    establishments.

    After the above restrictions were lifted in May, some accommodation establishments did not resume operations and, despite a gradual increase in the number of tourists accommodated in accommodation establishments, the occupancy of establishments did not reach the level of the same periods last year.

  • CCC revenues recovered after the coronavirus pandemic lockdown

    CCC revenues recovered after the coronavirus pandemic lockdown

    CCC reported a revenue increase for Q2 and Q3 2020 of 82% and 60% year on year, respectively.

    CCC’s LFL sales surged quarter on quarter, from -48% in Q2 to -16% in Q3, driven by a steady increase in foot traffic at the CCC stores, significant conversion levels, and purchase baskets.

    The share of e-commerce sales (carried out through 64 online platforms) in the group’s revenue in Q2 2020 was close to 50%, compared with 23% a year earlier, and in Q3 2020 it was 38% (preliminary data), relative to 25% a year earlier.

    In Q2 and Q3, CCC significantly developed its online points of contact with the customer by launching 12 new desktop platforms and applications on new foreign markets.

    In Q2, the e-commerce revenue from platforms other than eobuwie reached PLN 156m (25% of the e-commerce segment’s sales).

    Eobuwie posted revenues of PLN 538m (up 54% year on year) for Q2 2020 and almost tripled its EBITDA margin, up 9.1pp year on year (to 14.1%).

    At the end of Q2 2020, the total area of the CCC sales network was 762,000 m2 (including KVAG 74,000 m2). At the end of September 2020, the CCC Group was present in 29 countries.

    In 22 of them CCC operated more than 1.209 traditional stores (including 156 KVAG stores), and had an online presence in 17 countries.

    The group operates a total of 66 online platforms across Europe, including eobuwie.pl, ccc.eu, MODIVO, DeeZee, and Gino Rossi.

  • HomeDoctor closed a €3,7m Series A funding round

    HomeDoctor closed a €3,7m Series A funding round

    HomeDoctor announced a €3,7m Series A funding round led by Cogito Capital Partners with participation from the company’s founders.

    HomeDoctor, founded in 2016, is a leader in the Polish market in providing online medical consultations and delivery of healthcare services to patients’ homes and is a key partner for largest medical centres and insurers in Poland.

    It’s services are available online as well as through a dedicated mobile app (connecting doctors and patients).

    For home-visits business, the company uses geo-location technology, to ensure that the nearest available doctor is dispatched to a patient, which allows for delivery of a home visit within 1 hour of wait time.

    The company works with over 350 doctors (GPs as well as 16 different specialisations) who call on patients across Poland. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, HomeDoctor recorded an unprecedented growth in demand, especially in teleconsultations.

    HomeDoctor will use the investment to continue the growth of its operations in Poland, building its team and capacity in order to further expand geographically.

  • More people registered as unemployed in Poland at the end of Q2 2020

    More people registered as unemployed in Poland at the end of Q2 2020

    The number of the unemployed registered in Polish labour offices at the end of June 2020 amounted to 1026.5 thousand persons (including 551.0 thousand women), Statistics Poland latest data show.

    It was higher than the one observed at the end of the first quarter of 2020 by 117.0 thousand persons (12.9%), while compared to the same period of the previous year, it was higher by 149.4 thousand persons (17.0%).

    Compared to the first quarter of 2020, an increase in the number of unemployed persons was observed among the population of men and women respectively by: 57.7 thousand (by 13.8%) and 59.3 thousand (by 12.1%).

    Compared to June 2019, the numbers of unemployed men and women registered in labour offices also increased respectively by: 92.5 thousand (24.2%) and by 56.8 thousand (11.5%).

    Compared to the first quarter of 2020, at the end of June 2020, an increase in the number of the unemployed was observed in all voivodships. The most significant increase was in voivodships: Śląskie (by 21.0%), Małopolskie (by 19.2%), Lubuskie (by 18.6%), Wielkopolskie (by 18.5%) and Dolnośląskie (by 16.1%).

  • Globalworth to start Renoma Department Store renovation project

    Globalworth to start Renoma Department Store renovation project

    Globalworth has obtained a permit to renovate and rebuild the Renoma Department Store located in Wrocław, Poland.

    The iconic building is to undergo a metamorphosis giving it a new design and a new range of stores. The building’s future interior will resemble the architecture of the historic Wertheim Department Store.

    The works are planned to start in Q4 this year. To avoid disturbing shoppers, the renovations will be done in several stages and will last about two years. 

    The new Renoma will have additional office spaces and include a food area with restaurants, bars, bistros. The design was inspired by Hala Koszyki, the culinary centre of Warsaw, owned and managed by Globalworth. 

    Renoma was built in 1930 and is one of Poland’s most prominent retail buildings

    After being extended and upgraded in 2009, the property was put into use with over 120 stores and service points opened on the two lowest levels. The floors above are taken up by offices & restaurant sections.

    Along with Hala Koszyki in Warsaw and Supersam in Katowice, Renoma is the third mixed-use development in the Globalworth Poland portfolio.

  • Autodoc opened a new warehouse in Szczecin

    Autodoc opened a new warehouse in Szczecin

    Autodoc opened its latest logistics centre in Szczecin, last Friday. With the new building ”M13”, the company is doubling its storage space in the city to 26.700 square metres.

    Up to 800 jobs will be created in the new semi-automatically operated warehouse.

    In 2018 Autodoc opened its local reloading point for car parts, accessories and consumer goods by the A6 motorway in the district of Zalom-Kasztanowe.

    By now, almost 1.600 employees and contract workers work at this location. Almost 75.000 products are unpacked and repacked, addressed and shipped to end customers every day.

    In future, Autodoc’s handling will increase from 25.000 daily orders to as many as 61.000 orders.

    The Szczecin site is Autodoc’s most important logistics location with total investments of around 11.0 million euros since its launch.

    Autodoc searches for new employees in Szczecin and Berlin

    Autodoc is currently looking for new employees in both Szczecin and Berlin to meet the continuing strong growth in demand. Szczecin, in particularly, has turned into a popular logistics location in Poland.

    The multinational workforce in the warehouses often works in teams organised according to their native languages. Ten nations are represented in Szczecin.

    The employees receive a number of bonus systems, private health insurance and care as well as free transport to and from the city centre of Szczecin.

  • BNP Paribas Bank to fund energy efficiency projects from Polish homeowners

    BNP Paribas Bank to fund energy efficiency projects from Polish homeowners

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a PLN 71.2 million (EUR 16 million) guarantee agreement with BNP Paribas Bank Polska to support the financing of energy efficiency projects from Polish homeowners, micro-farmers, and housing associations.

    The guarantee will help BNP Paribas Bank Polska to provide, under the agreement with the EIB, PLN 742 million (EUR 166.7 million) of new financing for energy efficiency projects.

    The banks estimate that around 15.000 clients will benefit from the project.

    The increased use of renewable energy is one of the key objectives of the Polish authorities and the European Union.

    The programme can support the installation of renewable energy sources in individual homes and micro-farms, as well as finance the comprehensive energy refurbishment of multi-home apartment buildings.

    Measures that are eligible for this financing include solar photovoltaic installation for private homeowners and micro-farmers and a wide range of energy efficiency measures for multi-apartment buildings, such as energy efficient windows or facades, heating and ventilation systems, renewable energy sources integrated into the buildings and other measures.

  • Anna Grzelonska appointed CEO of NN in Turkey

    Anna Grzelonska appointed CEO of NN in Turkey

    NN Group announces that Anna Grzelonska, currently in the role of Chief Executive Officer of NN Asigurari de Viata Romania, will be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NN in Turkey, effective as of 1 December 2020.

    Following this appointment, Gerke Witteveen, currently Chief Financial Officer in NN Asigurari de Viata Romania, will act as CEO on an ad interim basis, as of 1 October 2020.

    Ms Grzelonska joined Nationale-Nederlanden Poland in 2008 as Marketing Services and Communications Director, and since then has held senior roles.

    In 2010 Ms Grzelonska was appointed as Chief Marketing Officer, and Member of the Management Board Nationale-Nederlanden Poland.

    In 2014 Ms Grzelonska was appointed as Chief Operating & Information Officer of Nationale-Nederlanden Poland. As from 2017, as CEO of NN Asigurari de Viata, Anna Grzelonska led the Romanian Management Team focusing on strengthening NN Life Insurance Romania local successful business presence.

  • DeeZee to launch the first collection of women’s clothing

    DeeZee to launch the first collection of women’s clothing

    DeeZee is launching the first collection of women’s clothing, complementing the offer of footwear and accessories.

    The new collection of DeeZee clothes is created in response to numerous questions from deezee.pl customers. Its design will refer to the well-known brand of the current shoe collection.

    The first collection will be available online at deezee.pl later this year.

    Today, DeeZee.pl is one of the largest online stores with women’s footwear in Poland, and the brand’s shoes can also be found in every CCC stationary store.

    Dominika Żak, founder and CEO of DeeZee, is responsible for the design of the clothing collection.