In the first six months of this year, 16 new brands entered the Czech retail market. Most of them were in the fashion and gastronomy sectors. A total of 14 of them opened their stores in Prague, one in České Budějovice and one in Třebíč. This is according to data from Cushman & Wakefield.
A total of six brands have been added to the fashion, footwear and accessories sector. The Slovak barefoot footwear brand BeLenka opened its first store on the Czech market in the Arkády Pankrác shopping centre in Prague. The American cap brand New Era presented its products on the 28. října shopping street, and another American brand of outdoor accessories, Peak Design, opened on Senovážné náměstí. The s. Oliver brand launched a premium clothing line at the IGY shopping centre in České Budějovice under the name s. Oliver Black Label. The Italian children's fashion store Blukids began sales at the OD Ládví shopping centre.
The gastronomic sector expanded with five new brands. Dean&David opened its first branch in Prague's Máj shopping centre, with further branches planned for Jiřího z Poděbrad and V Celnici. The Ukrainian seafood restaurant Chernomorka has opened in Ondříčkova Street in Prague. The Croatian bistro Koykan opened in May in Prague's Máj, and customers can look forward to a second Prague branch later this year in the shopping centre in Černý Most, which will then be called Westfield Černý Most. The Austrian brand Seven North has opened a new restaurant in the Prague branch of the Sir Prague hotel. An Italian aperitif shop called Ciao Spritz will open on Vodičkova Street in Prague.
"Gastronomy remains a strong magnet for new concepts. Prague attracts brands thanks to its diverse audience, strong tourism and lively food scene. The food & beverage segment is extremely dynamic and highly competitive. New brands are entering the market with the knowledge that the local market is multicultural, international and open to diverse culinary experiences. This is one of the reasons why Prague is one of the most interesting destinations for the development and expansion of gastronomic concepts in Europe," comments Jan Kotrbáček on behalf of Cushman & Wakefield.
New brands that entered the Czech Republic in the first half of this year
One of the most significant brands to enter the market in the first half of the year is the American cosmetics brand Bath & Body Works, with a store in Prague's Westfield Chodov. The Korean cosmetics brand Ksisters, originally from Slovakia, also opened its first store on the Czech market here.
In the luxury segment, the first Fragrance and Beauty boutique of the Chanel brand opened in June. Until now, it only had a full-format store on Pařížská Street. However, with its store in the newly renovated Baroque Savarin Palace on Na Příkopě Street in Prague, it is entering the health and beauty segment, following the example of Western European cities where it already has such stores.
This year is set to be another record year in terms of the number of new luxury brands entering the market. The Fairmont Golden Hotel in Prague's Pařížská Street will see the opening of the first stores of the brands Ermanno Scervino, Grenardi, Damiani and Pasquale Bruni in the summer. They will be joined by other brands already present on the Czech market, such as MaxMara and La Table, as well as the Kodl Contemporary contemporary art gallery, which will open in September. Another newcomer to the Czech market will be the luxury perfume store Nicolaï, which will open in July on the neighbouring Široká Street.
The leisure segment was underrepresented in the first half of the year, with only one new entrant, Another World, a virtual reality arena from the United States. The sports segment was enriched by a new store of the German bicycle brand Canyon Bikes, which opened on Na Maninách in Prague. Another new player is the discount chain Woolworth, which has its first store in the Stop Shop Třebíč retail park.
The second half of the year will see the arrival of well-known brands
In the second half of 2025, the Czech market will see the arrival of a number of other brands. Among the expected newcomers are the bakery and café Cinnamood, the sushi concept Sushi Circle, the Swedish fashion brand with a café Arket from the H&M group, and the German drugstore Müller.
The Polish jewellery brand Savicki, the Austrian fitness centre Speedfit, the fast food chain Wendy's and the long-awaited Five Guys, the optician Kodano, the Italian cosmetics brand Kiko Milano, Worldbox from the CCC group, and the café brand Reborn Coffee. The Savarin Palace will also see the opening of a Piano bar concept from Poland, which will offer live music every evening.
Source: mediaguru.cz