Czechia

Carrefour Makes a Comeback in the Czechia After 18 Years

After an absence of 18 years, the well-known Carrefour chain is set to return to the Czech Republic, marking a significant development in its international strategy. Partnering with JIP Retail, which operates 14 grocery stores across the country, Carrefour is gearing up to reintroduce its products to Czech customers next year. “This marks another crucial milestone in Carrefour’s international strategy, with a specific focus on Eastern Europe,” states Patrick Lasfargues, CEO of Carrefour International Partnership, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to growth in the region. Notably, Carrefour had a presence in the Czech market until 2006. JIP Retail, expressing enthusiasm about the collaboration, aims to offer an affordable selection of quality products encompassing both food and non-food categories. Jan Plšek, President of JIP Retail, highlights the complementary nature of Carrefour’s product range to their existing assortment. In a report by Kupi.cz, it is revealed that Carrefour’s offerings will span fresh and long-lasting food, including healthy, alternative, and organic products. Additionally, the chain will provide a diverse range of basic drugstore items, cosmetics, cleaning products, pet food, and more. With this exciting development, Czech consumers can look forward to the return of Carrefour, not just as a grocery store but as a...

 by Cara Stevenson Dec 21, 2023

Sales Tax on Real Estate in the Czech Republic

Understand the intricacies of property sales tax when selling real estate in the Czech Republic.

 by Daniel Kotula Dec 20, 2023

Catering to Comfort: Dash “Cloud Kitchen” in Prague

The COVID pandemic brought many hardships to small businesses and restaurants, however, it’s important also to consider the positives that it brought in terms of innovation and creativity. That’s what makes Dash Kitchen an exemplary example of these achievements, behind the ideas of Mo, an Egyptian native who grew up in UAE, but studied here in Czechia at CVUT (Czech Technical University in Prague). Combining his academic background in electrical engineering and computer science with his family’s business experience in fashion and clothes manufacturing in Kuwait, Mo left the technical world behind to bring his new ideas to light in entrepreneurship. Instilling his passion for food, accompanied by his experience as a line cook at various restaurants, Mo turned his culinary skills into a successful enterprise with the creation of Dash Kitchen when the pandemic hit, essentially cultivating an idea of a ‘cloud kitchen’ specifically catered for take-out and deliveries. Since then, Dash Kitchen has grown steadfast into the post-COVID era where customers are still enjoying the creative concept’s ability to provide different menus spread across three locations in Prague. There’s certainly a lot to choose from for those looking to eat from the comfort of their own home, in...

 by Prague Morning Dec 20, 2023

Pilsner Urquell Takes a Stand: Withdraws Sponsorship from Paris Olympics Over Russian Athletes

Pilsner Urquell has announced that it will not be sponsoring next year’s Summer Olympic Games in Paris due to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the event. Following Radovan Vitek’s CPI Property Group, which also terminated its cooperation with the Czech Olympic Committee, this move underscores a growing protest within the Czech business community. “Pilsner Urquell will not support the upcoming Games under the current conditions and is withdrawing from all communications related to the Olympics,” the beer producer declared. The company remains committed to financial support for Czech athletes, redirecting funds initially intended for the Olympics to benefit local sports and athletes. The decision to withdraw from all communications related to the Summer Olympics in Paris is a joint effort with the Czech Olympic Committee, marking a departure from previous campaigns the company had undertaken. Zuzana Dudová, marketing manager of Pilsner Urquell, expressed disappointment in the IOC’s decision. “We have always supported Czech Olympic athletes in the name of shared values such as fairness, humanism, and belonging. Unfortunately, the IOC’s decision does not align with these principles,” Dudová explained. While supporting Czech athletes, Pilsner Urquell emphasizes celebrating their achievements at events consistent with...

 by Prague Morning Dec 19, 2023

Czechs Flocking to Poland for Christmas Shopping

Czechs are flocking to Polish border markets before Christmas, visiting towns near the Czech-Polish border, such as Zabelkovo near Bohumín, to buy cheaper groceries, Christmas sweets, decorations and trees. As reported by Novinky, parking attendants in Zabelkovo expressed surprise at the influx of Czech shoppers trying to park at the Polish market. They noted that it hadn’t happened in a long time, as Czechs embarked on their Christmas shopping spree. Long queues formed at stalls selling meat, dairy products, sweets and Christmas decorations. Shoppers appreciated the prices and quality of the offered goods. Some shared their purchases, comparing them to domestic options, including praising Polish mushrooms and fungi. Czechs aren’t just buying groceries; some, like Michal Jirásek from Opava, came for an artificial Christmas tree. He claimed that Polish trees are beautiful and competitively priced compared to Czech ones. In addition to traditional shopping, Czechs have embraced Polish gift cards this year, offering benefits such as wellness stays or discounts on purchases in Polish restaurants, drugstores, furniture stores, fashion outlets and shoe shops. Some Czechs expressed regret that, due to disparate prices and incomes, they are compelled to shop in Poland and expressed a desire for the Czech government to...

 by Prague Morning Dec 17, 2023

Controversial Ban on Ukrainians at Czech Music Club Sparks Criticism

IMC Music Club in Česká Skalice, has stirred controversy by imposing a ban on Ukrainians from entering their establishment, citing alleged conflicts and damage incidents. The club’s operators claim that Ukrainians often engage in fights and have caused damage to the club’s facilities. However, the police report no such conflicts related to Ukrainians at the club. The ban has prompted a debate with voices both in favor and against such a move. The club operators announced the decision on their Facebook profile, stating that they were forced to implement the ban universally for all Ukrainians after multiple warnings and entry bans due to inappropriate behavior. The police spokesperson, Eva Prachařová, stated that the Czech Republic police have not recorded any conflicts involving Ukrainians in connection with the club and are not currently taking any action on the matter. The Czech Trade Inspection is set to address the situation and spokesperson František Kotrba suggests that the ban may constitute discrimination. The Inspectorate for the Hradec Králové and Pardubice regions has received several submissions on the matter and will investigate promptly. Critics question the club’s ability to verify the nationality of those entering and former mayor and organizer of major festivals, Petr...

 by Cara McErlean Dec 17, 2023

Christmas Holidays in Czechia: Which Stores Will Remain Open?

With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, shopping fever is at its peak. This year stores exceeding 200 square meters will be closed for three days as part of the national holidays and will not open again until Wednesday, December 27. For those last-minute gifts, select stores might extend hours until 11 p.m. on December 22-23. On Dec. 24, larger stores can stay open until noon. However, specific opening hours vary among supermarkets. The opening hours of shops on public holidays are governed by the law on sales hours in retail and wholesale trade. It has been in effect in the Czech Republic since October 2016. According to this law, shops over 200 square meters must be closed on certain public holidays. Shops for Christmas 2022 December 24 – shops over 200 meters must close by 12:00 December 25 – all shops are closed December 26 – all shops are closed Only a limited number of restaurants are open, but even these have limited opening hours. Most restaurants book out in advance, so we advise making reservations. However, exemptions apply to pharmacies, gas stations, and shops in the airport and railway stations (including Prague’s Hlavní nádraží) and hospitals. Public transport on...

 by Prague Morning Dec 16, 2023

Brno Named ‘European Capital Of Christmas’ 2024

The international jury of the European Capital of Christmas has decided unanimously to award Brno as the winner of the 2024 title, in the category of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The particularly high quality of Brno’s Christmas festivities and their relevance to the European Values of Christmas were two key factors that determined the Jury’s decision. The European Capital of Christmas and European City of Christmas awards were established in 2017, with the patronage of the European Parliament. Since then, cities such as Liège (Belgium), Genoa (Italy), San Sebastián (Spain), Valkenburg (Netherlands) and most recently Kyiv (Ukraine) have been awarded. This year’s international jury, which was headed by Danuta Hübner, a member of the European Parliament, had to evaluate a record number of participating cities. The other award, in the category of cities under 100,000 inhabitants, was won by the Irish town of Waterford. The town of Almanza (Spain) also earned a special mention. In the evaluation, the city of Brno was defined as “a creative Christmas gem, which gives a high appeal to the social and economic impacts on the urban structure”. “I am glad that we managed to connect the modern concept of Advent markets with...

 by Prague Morning Dec 15, 2023

Foreigners Now Make Up One-Tenth of Czech Population

Foreigners legally residing in the Czech Republic now constitute ten percent of the total population, according to the latest figures published by the Czech Statistical Office on Wednesday.  The number of foreigners with legal residence at the end of last year rose by 455,305 year-on-year to 1.12 million people. Ukrainians were the nationality that saw the biggest increase in number, and they also make up over half of the total number of foreigners in Czechia, with over 630,000 registered in the country at the end of 2022. Slovak and Vietnamese citizens respectively make up the next largest groups. CSO Chairman Marek Rojíček highlighted that the surge was primarily attributed to foreigners with temporary residence, constituting 70% of the total, while 30% held permanent residence permits. Notably, 2,456 foreign citizens sought asylum in the Czech Republic. The demographic landscape underwent significant changes, with an influx of mothers and children from Ukraine. Women’s representation among foreigners reached a historic high of 51.1%, up from 43.5% in 2021. Additionally, the proportion of children under 14 rose from 10.6% to 16.5% during the same period. Despite these shifts, the ranking of the most represented nationalities remained stable. Ukrainians topped the list, experiencing a remarkable increase from 196,875 to 636,282 year-on-year, followed...

 by Prague Morning Dec 13, 2023

Říčany Boasts Best Quality of Life in Czechia, Prague Comes Second

According to a new index, Říčany is the best place to live and offers the highest quality of life in the Czech Republic, followed by Prague and Brandýs nad Labem. Říčany, a small town of over 16,000 souls in the Central Bohemian region located on the south-eastern outskirts of Prague, has – once again – been ranked as the place offering the best quality of life in the Czech Republic. The ranking, put together by data analysis company Obce v Datech in cooperation with consulting firm Deloitte in order to help municipalities identify possible deficiencies and people decide where to live, ranks over 200 Czech municipalities according to a number of criteria (health, environment, work, education, services, safety, transport, leisure, housing, etc.). According to Deloitte manager Filip Neterda, “our major goal is to actually help the cities to get their strategic priorities right, to better target the areas into which public investment is required […] We would be really happy if it could serve as a tool for public investment at the level of a city”. As a whole, the country’s two largest cities, Prague and Brno, along with their respective surrounding municipalities, performed better in the quality of life ranking....

 by Karolina Kubičková Dec 12, 2023

Czech Population Grows Mainly Due to Migration from Ukraine

The population of Czechia increased by 54,700 to 10.88 million in the first three quarters of this year, according to data published by the Czech Statistics Office on Tuesday. The increase is due to foreign migration, especially from Ukraine. From January to the end of September, 116,700 people immigrated to Czechia, while 48,600 people left the country. The figures include Ukrainians granted temporary protection due to Russian military aggression. According to the freshly released data, the first six months of 2022 saw 69,200 births, which is a drop of 11 percent year-on-year. Moreover, there was a decrease of over 10 percent in marriages compared to the previous year, accompanied by fewer deaths and divorces. Between January and September, 116,700 people moved to the country from abroad, while 48,600 people moved out. Two-fifths of those who left were registered in September, reflecting the conclusion of the stay for individuals with temporary protection who failed to comply with the deadline for visa sticker affixation to their travel documents. Czechia experienced a net loss of 13,300 residents through natural channels, marking an increase of 2,800 from the same period last year. In the first three quarters of the year, 41,500 couples got married,...

 by Jakub Dvorský Dec 12, 2023

How to Successfully Search for Real Estate on the Internet in Czechia

This article covers the most effective ways to search for properties to buy in the Czech Republic on the Internet. Most readers will be familiar with the feeling of fatigue and frustration from long hours of often unsuccessful internet surfing. If you follow the procedures below, you may not experience this feeling quite so strongly (I won’t give you a guarantee that you won’t experience it at all, I would say that it just comes with the search). A prerequisite for success is that we have a realistic idea of what we are looking for and for how much. If you don’t, then even the process below won’t help you. In the Czech real estate market, you basically have only two ways of searching. The first one is picking up on all the tempting news. The second way is to work with the so-called lagers. In the first way, we have to be quick, and sometimes we have to take no prisoners; in theysecond way, we have to be patient and be good negotiators. Picking up the news Set up a watchdog on the portals below and keep an eye on 99% of new offers on the internet. The watchdog is...

 by Daniel Kotula Dec 11, 2023

Tell more about your business

Tell us about your.

Tell us about your.

Tell us about your.

Tell us about your.

Tell us about your.

Thank You, It`s All Good

We will come back to you within 24 housr with our proporsal

Tell us about your.