Czech online supermarket Rohlik Group has increased its sales by half last year and delivered nearly ten million orders. Now the e-tailer is expanding into Italy, Romania and Spain.
No post-pandemic dip
The online supermarket recorded 53 % more turnover in the last financial year: net sales amounted to 490 million euros, thanks to a strong European expansion. Last year, the group launched as Knuspr in Germany, after earlier launches in Czechia, Austria and Hungary.
The company, founded by entrepreneur Tomas Cupr in 2014, says it now has more than a million customers, to whom it delivered 200 million items in almost 10 million orders last year. The average order value in Western Europe exceeded 85 euros, Reuters reports.
“We are pleased not to see a post-pandemic softening or a slowdown in growth”, Reuters cites Cupr. “Not only is our Czech core market EBITDA profitable since 2018, all of our four existing markets are on a path to be contribution profitable in the upcoming fiscal year,” Cupr said of the gross profit, without however citing figures.
On to Italy, Romania and Spain
In a capital round last July, Rohlik raised 100 million euros and valued the online retailer at one billion euros. In six months’ time, the Czech company opened two warehouses in Germany, while it plans to invest hundreds of millions of euros in the coming years. This year, Rohlik plans to automate distribution centres in Munich, Hamburg and Prague.
In 2022, Rohlik will take its first steps in Italy, Romania and Spain. Thanks to an acquisition of the Spanish Ulabox, the company will launch its services in Barcelona and Madrid under the brand name Sezamo in the second half of this year, according to El Pais. Cupr is also planning further expansion in Germany. To cope with strong inflation and price increases, Rohlik Group is investing in more private label products. These would initially be dry goods such as ground coffee and pet food.
