Sales at the largest online retailer Alza reached CZK 21bn in 2017, an increase of 21 percent compared to 2016. More than half of the company’s revenues were produced in the Czech Republic, but it’s active in another 24 European markets where revenues rose 80 percent. “The biggest portion of the foreign markets, 40 percent, came from Hungary,” said the company’s deputy chairman Tomáš Havryluk. “We’re not in Poland yet, because it didn’t seem right for expansion to us yet,” he said. Alza is considering opening a German office and strengthening its position in Austria. Last year, one third of all sales were ordered by phone, an increase of 200 percent. Alza also made it possible to pay by Bitcoin beginning last year. “The largest order in a digital currency was CZK 540,000,” said spokeswoman Patricie Šedivá. The second largest online retailer, Mall.cz, reported revenues of CZK 17bn.
