Online supermarket Rohlik is now expanding into Italy, Romania and Spain under the brand name Sezamo. Next year, the Czech company will reach seven countries, after which more cities will follow in Germany. 8,000 items within 2 hours The Czech online supermarket Rohlik is continuing its European conquest: in 2022, the disruptor will launch in Italy, Romania and Spain, bringing the total up to seven countries. In the new markets, the online supermarket will be branded Sezamo, named after sesame seeds and the phrase “open sesame”. Until now, the e-commerce player operated in each country under a different name. In Austria, for instance, they are called Gurkerl, and in Germany, the company operates under the brand name Knuspr. Despite the different names, the recipe remains the same throughout: Rohlik is an online-only supermarket delivering to consumers’ doorsteps within two to three hours and offers a full range of supermarket products. Sezamo, for example, intends to offer around 8,000 fresh items delivered within three hours in Italy and two hours in Romania. “To be ten times better than the supermarket” The concept is thus a cross between the growing express delivery services, such as retailer Gorillas – present as keynote speaker at RetailDetail Night – and traditional online grocery...
Revenues in hotel and restaurants services are falling again. In the first week of November, businesses made almost 22 percent less on average than in the previous week, the last week of October. The slight decline continued in the second week of November. Several factors are to blame – the worsening epidemiological situation, the end of seasonal operations of selected restaurants, the reintroduction of homeoffice by employees of some businesses and infection-free controls. Naturally, with falling revenues, number of visitors has also fallen, by just under 16 per cent in the first week of November. That’s according to data from Storyous, which creates a comprehensive restaurant system. Even rising prices did not compensate restaurants for the decline in guests at the beginning of November. According to Storyous data, restaurant attendance fell by nearly 16 percent and average revenue per establishment fell by nearly 22 percent. In the second week of November, average revenue continued to decline by another two percent, while attendance fell by 9 percent. “There are a number of factors behind the decline – the worsening epidemiological situation, the end of seasonal operations of selected restaurants, home office regulation by some companies, people’s fears of contagion and, no...
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. The police will launch intensive inspections for compliance with epidemiological measures as of Monday (November 22), according to their post on a social network. During the checks, the police will cooperate with regional branches of the Public Health Office. “The situation is really bad, and we ask you to take care of yourselves properly,” reads the post. The Czech Republic is the fifth-worst COVID-affected country of the European Union (EU), with 718 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days, while a week ago it was 10th with 499 cases, the data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show. People around the Czech Republic donated 410 tons of non-perishable products for the needy on Saturday within the bi-annual National Food Collection. Some 1,300 shops and supermarket chains around the country joined the charity effort. Tereza Hlůšková, a Czech citizen who was detained by customs officers in the Pakistani city of Lahore with nine kilograms of heroin in 2018, was released from a Pakistani prison on Saturday....
This year’s Christmas tree for Prague’s Old Town Square is on its way. The 21-meter-tall spruce had been growing on private land in the village of Dolní Černá Studnice. Yet the tall Christmas tree which will dominate the square is already on its way to the capital and will be officially lit on November 27th. This particular tree, says Petr Hozák of Taiko, comes from “a private garden,” and he noted that it has “wonderful branches.” It’ll definitely need them for all the decorations that’ll be hung on it. You can also rest assured that, after its duty as the centerpiece of the Old Town holiday festivities, it will be properly recycled and re-used in some form. Last year’s Christmas tree came from the village of Semily (Liberec Region) in the north of the Czech Republic. The market organizing firm Taiko looks for trees that are in danger of being cut down in the near future. This way, the impact of cutting down the tree is minimal as it was already destined to come down. In addition to the Old Town Square market, there are other markets (and smaller trees) at Wenceslas Square, Naměsti Míru, Kampa Island, and on the...
November 21, 2021, is the 49th annual World Hello Day. Anyone can participate in World Hello Day simply by greeting ten people. This demonstrates the importance of personal communication for preserving peace. World Hello Day was begun in response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel in the Fall of 1973. Since then, World Hello Day has been observed by people in 180 countries. Czechs have many different ways of greeting each other. While this might confuse foreigners still struggling with the excruciating difficulties of the language, we’ve noticed that Czechs themselves were not necessarily aware of the story behind their salutation phrases. “Ahoj” is the most common expression to say “hi” or “hello” to friends and relatives. As many Czech greetings, you can also use it to say goodbye. While most scholars consider that “ahoy!” or “hoy!” were first used by Scottish or English sailors to draw attention to something and greet other ships, interpretations differ. Some linguists and historians also claim it was used, on land, to drive cattle. Less widely-used than the first Czech greetings, “nazdar” is yet another way to say “hi”. Literally meaning “to the success”, the idiom dates back to the mid-19th century. At...
Global survey of over two million adults reveals worldwide trends in English proficiency EF Education First released today the 2021 edition of its EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), analysing data from two million non-native English speakers in 112 countries and regions. As worldwide levels of English improve, Scandinavia no longer dominates the top positions of this global ranking. Adults from Netherlands were ranked as the best non-native English speakers with a score of 663, followed by those from Austria (641), Denmark (636), and Singapore (635). Yemen had the lowest score, with just 360 points. Czech Republic has placed fifth-worst in Europe. Only France, Italy, and Spain have lower levels of English than the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic fell from 19th to 27th place, in what is the steepest drop registered across Europe this year. The EF EPI is based on test scores from the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), used worldwide by thousands of schools, companies, and governments for large-scale testing as well as millions of individual test takers. Key findings of the EF EPI 2021 include: Europe’s English proficiency is consistently strong and climbing, driven in large part by improved proficiency among older adults. Central and East Asia are trending up while South Asia and the...
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has admitted that he is considering the possibility of running in the 2003 presidential elections. In response to a question on his Facebook page, however, he said his decision would depend on whether he received a sufficient number of citizens’ signatures. Under Czech law, a candidate needs to receive the necessary support from lawmakers (at least 10 senators or 20 lower house deputies) or citizens (at least 50,000 signatures). The ANO party has 72 seats in the Chamber, so fulfilling that condition would not present a problem. “President Zeman would like me to run for the post,” Babiš said last week, adding that the ANO movement wants to have a candidate for the presidential elections. Zeman is confident that he will be able to serve the rest of his term until 2023, despite his unstable health conditions: “I assume that I will fulfill my duties for a year and a half and then I will retire as a happy pensioner,” he said in the interview. Among other potential candidates, bookmakers have singled out General Petr Pavel, former chairman of the NATO military committee, as well as former presidential hopeful Jiri Drahos, Pavel Fischer, and ex-Prime Minister...
The Marriott hotel in Prague declined to host a conference of activists and leaders from China’s Uyghur diaspora this month, citing “political neutrality,” an email shared with Axios shows. Why it matters: The Chinese government has condemned the World Uyghur Congress, which has attempted to rally global attention to the genocide in Xinjiang, China. The decision to reject the conference reflects China’s growing ability to extend authoritarian control beyond its borders by making clear to corporations that crossing the party’s red lines will be bad for business. The World Uyghur Congress consists mainly of Uyghurs living in exile and advocates for the rights of those who remain in the Xinjiang region in western China, where upwards of one million people have been held in internment camps. About 200 delegates from 25 countries gathered in Prague from Nov. 12-14 to elect the organization’s new leadership and hold discussions with politicians, academics and civil society representatives from around the world. The Prague Marriott Hotel declined to host the conference. Melissa Froehlich Flood, Marriott’s senior vice president for global corporate communications, told Axios the hotel would be “contacting the group to apologize, as the hotel’s response was not consistent with our policies.” How it...
Coronavirus infections rates in the Czech Republic hit a new record for the second time this week, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. It announced that the daily tally jumped to 22,936 on Friday, almost 500 more than the previous record set on Tuesday. The country´s infection rate has risen to 929 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. In a worrying sign, 110 people died on Thursday, the ministry said, with the daily death toll surpassing 100 for the first time since April. The government has approved new restrictions to tackle the surge, targeting the unvaccinated in an effort to increase a vaccination rate that is below the European Union average. Starting Monday, most unvaccinated people will no longer be allowed to show negative coronavirus tests in order to attend public events, go to bars and restaurants, visit hairdressers, museums and similar facilities or use hotels. Only people who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 will remain eligible. Overall, the nation of 10.7 million has registered almost 2 million cases with 32,005 deaths.
In the last few years, the importance of shopping centres has been growing- not only as a place for convenient shopping, but also as a space for meeting and spending free time. On this premise, Galerie Harfa shopping centre has recently opened a gourmet market offering products, and food from around the world. Gourmet Harfa is a unique market inside the shopping centre where customers can choose between several different cuisines of the world. Customers can taste authentic dishes of the region and can immediately buy the ingredients needed for their preparation at home. Gourmet Harfa has an open kitchen studio, where unique cooking shows will be held twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays with the participation of leading chefs. Leading chef Marek Raditsch, who has become the face of the Gourmet Harfa and will take part in the preparation of cooking show programs, will make sure that it is attractive and high-quality gastronomy. “I like the idea that you can taste and buy ingredients for preparing various world dishes in one place,” Raditsch said. “Czechs like to experiment in the kitchen, get inspired, look for quality ingredients and are willing to pay for them. And this is exactly...
In the 1970s, Florenc cut the highway, becoming one of the most heinous places in Prague. A hub for international transport, it’s the first thing you see when getting off a train or bus. Now, planning is underway to transform Florenc into a livable community. Currently, there are three designs in the finals of the architectural competition. In the 15th century, Charles IV allowed the Italians to settle in the region. This is probably where the local name came from — Florenc. Now, architects from several countries are applying to help revitalize the area. Three international teams succeeded with their proposals, and the winner should be announced Dec. 1. For the first design, three separate groups joined together: architects from the Czech studio Unit Architekti, A 69 architects and the studio operating mainly in London Marko & Placemaker. The first two studies took part in the Kyje-Hloubětín urban study. However, the third studio has already worked in Prague, in the Smíchov City project. The architects had sociologists, economists and experts on climate change and transport at their disposal. This team considers Florenc a place that connects and heals the city structure or as a transport hub or a dynamic and...
The covid pandemic canceled last year’s Christmas markets, but the first festivities of this year’s season will return Saturday, Nov. 20. Náměstí Míru will be filled with traditional assortment and delicacies. The festive atmosphere will be extended to Tyl Square the following Friday. Both markets will be open until Christmas Day, per a Prague 2 press release. The advent in Prague 2 mainly includes cultural, social and family events, all of which are usually organized by the town hall during this period. Concerts in churches with free admission are especially popular. “For the last Sunday in November, we are preparing an Advent stop at Ludmila. A spontaneous meeting in the middle of the Christmas markets with excellent potato pancakes and mulled wine is a great opportunity to welcome Advent time. On the third Sunday of Advent, on the steps of the church of St. Ludmila, we will meet with our representatives and we will all sing Christmas carols together with our neighbors from Dvojka,” invites Mayor Jana Černochová (ODS). Christmas markets The Christmas markets on Náměstí Míru begin on Nov. 20, and those on Tyl Square on Nov. 26. Visitors will be welcomed daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,...
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