39 new brands entered the Czech retail market last year, a record number achieved in the past ten years, when the real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield has been closely monitoring this activity.

Some of the most notable brands that came to the market last year include Victoria’s Secret, Popeyes, Signorvino, Rossopomodoro and Zadig & Voltaire.

Two names literally shook the Czech market last year. The highly sought-after American lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, which opened its first local store in Prague’s Westfield Chodov shopping centre in May, had been lacking in the country for a long time.

Another major brand is the American fast food chain Popeyes, which opened a store in Dům módy on Prague’s Wenceslas Square in early November and where long queues still stand in January.

The F&B segment was enriched by more interesting brands last year. The very popular Aperol Spritz Terrace opened in Prague’s Mánes, the Holy Pasta concept opened in Manifesto Market, The Alley tearoom opened in Na Příkopě Street.

Italian concepts opened in shopping centres: Rossopomodoro in Palladium and Signorvino in Westfield Chodov. The so-called travel retail was enriched by the Bottega Prosecco Bar and Natoo brands at Prague Airport and the main railway station.

Fashion and luxury in the Pařížská street area

The fashion sector, traditionally strong among the arrivals, was represented last year by 9 clothing, footwear and accessories retailers.

The luxury goods segment was expanded by the Italian winter clothing brand MooRER in Maiselova Street and the French fashion brand Zadig & Voltaire on Široká Street. The world-famous shoe brand Jimmy Choo, after a year’s absence of a full-fledged retail store, moved to Pařížská 21.

It has thus consolidated the trend of luxury brands moving to the northern part of Pařížská Street, where two new projects with exclusive retail spaces are now being completed: the Pařížská 25 and the five-star Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel, which has the ambition to become the most luxurious hotel in the CEE region.

Into Prague’s streets and shopping malls

The vast majority – 33 brands – headed to Prague; Brno and Ostrava welcomed two brands each, Hatě and Hradec Králové one each. The proportion of brands that opened stores in shopping centres and those that chose the so-called high street (the main shopping avenue in the city centre) is balanced. Most brands came to the country this year from Italy: 8, mainly from the F&B segment, followed by Slovakia (5 brands) and France (4 brands).