In Business News this week: the Czech economy grew by 1.3 percent in the last quarter of 2014; Czech brewer Plzeňský Prazdroj announces record sales for 2014; natural gas sales lowest in the last decade; British developer threatens legal action over shopping mall project; mineral water producer Poděbradka increases its sales by 10 percent.
Czech economy grows by 1.3 percent in last quarter of 2014
The Czech economy grew by 1.3 percent in the last quarter of 2014, according to the latest figures from the Czech Statistics Office released on Friday. The office estimates growth for the whole of 2014 at 2 percent, which is slightly lower than previously expected. Even so, the result is significantly better than in 2013, when the GDP dropped by 0.7 percent. The office says the year-on-year increase was driven primarily by foreign trade and exports.
Plzeňský Prazdroj announces record sales for 2014
The biggest Czech brewer Plzeňský Prazdroj announced record beer sales in 2014. The brewery sold 10 million hectolitres of beer last year, which is an increase of 4.5 percent compared with 2013. Export sales climbed by 6 percent year-on-year to around 3.5 million hectolitres. The total sales of the premium lager Pilsner Urquell last year exceeded two million hectolitres for the first time in the company’s history. Domestic sales of the flagship lager went up by 10 percent and exports increased by four percent.
Consumption of natural gas lowest in last decade
Photo: Tomáš Adamec, Czech Radio
The Czech Republic’s consumption of natural gas in 2014 fell to the lowest levels in the last decade, according to the latest figures released by energy regulator ERÚ. In total, 7.28 billion cubic metres of gas were consumed in the country last year, which is 12 percent less than in 2013. Experts say exceptional warm weather was behind the low consumption. The average temperature in the Czech Republic last year was 9.7 degrees Celsius, which is 1.8 degrees above the average.
British developer threatens with legal dispute over shopping mall project
Veletržní palác, photo: Radio Prague archive
The British real estate and development group Lordship has got into a fight with Prague 7 local council over a potential shopping centre project. The plan to build a 30,000-square-metre shopping centre just opposite the National Gallery’s Veletržní Palác has sparked opposition from a local citizens’ group. Newly elected representatives at the town council are now demanding changes to the project. The developer, who has been renting the building site on Veletržní street since 2002, claims that the delays have already cost it around one billion crowns and is threatening to take legal action over the latest demands which could potentially end in arbitration.
Mineral water producer Poděbradka posts 10 percent increase of sales in 2014
Illustrative photo: Kristýna Maková
Czech mineral water producer Poděbradka increased its turnover by around 10 percent to 534 million crowns in 2014. The increase was mostly generated by the launch of a line of soft drinks. In 2013, the company posted a net profit of 54 million crowns. Poděbradka mainly produces flavoured mineral water and during the peak summer season it can produce up to 45,000 bottles an hour.
