Online grocer Rohlik.cz reports first annual profit

The second-largest online grocer in the Czech Republic, Rohlik.cz has reported its first annual profit since its establishment in 2014, the Czech News Agency reported on Thursday. The retailer expects to see a turnover of 2.5 billion crowns in 2018 and plans to double that figure next year.

Photo: European Commission

“We recorded profit already in the first quarter of this year, and we expect further growth,” company’s founder Tomáš Čupr said, adding that the number of customers has nearly doubled over the past year.

During the past 12 months, Rohlik.cz has enlarged its offer of higher-end products such as fresh fish and meat, fresh produce from farmers, and wine.

The online grocer has also started to offer products from the UK-based retailer Marks and Spencer. “Over the past year, we have increased the offer to 650 Marks and Spencer products due to a strong demand from our customers,” Mr Čupr told the Czech News Agency.

Rohlik.cz has also started selling products under its own brand, including ham, yoghourts and ready-made traditional Czech meals. In the near future, the company plans to introduce other products, such as free-range eggs and nuts.

Among the other big online grocer in the Czech Republic are Tesco’s Potraviny on-line and Košík.cz. The services of Rohlik.cz are currently available only in Prague and other regional capitals, including Brno, Plzeň, Liberec and Hradec Králové.

Recently, the company started delivering also to popular summer locations along the Sázava River, such as Mělník and Slapy, and considers venturing beyond the Czech Republic’s borders. Online grocery sales in the Czech Republic are the third highest in Europe, following Great Britain and France. The share of internet sales on the total grocery retail has reached 2.5 per cent.