Retail chains are celebrating this holiday season as Czech consumers show renewed confidence in spending. With higher disposable income and diminished economic fears, both food and consumer goods retailers are reporting increased revenues compared to last year.
Major retailers are seeing positive trends, with Tesco reporting a slight increase in November sales compared to the previous year. Penny Market has also noted growth, with customers starting their holiday shopping earlier this season. Online shopping is particularly robust, with consumers planning to spend over 10,000 crowns on Christmas gifts on average, up from 5,000-10,000 crowns last year.
The uptick in consumer spending is attributed to improving economic conditions, including lower inflation and real wage growth of 4.6% in the third quarter. Official statistics show retail sales grew by 5.5% year-over-year in October.
Holiday shopping patterns reveal consumers are particularly interested in traditional Christmas items, with sales increasing by dozens of percent as the holidays approach. Popular items include chicken schnitzels, wine sausages, and fish at Lidl. Meanwhile, Tesco reports strong sales in toys, especially Lego sets, alongside staples like butter, milk, eggs, and meat.
In the electronics sector, Alza.cz reports phones, laptops, VR glasses, and gaming consoles as top gift choices, with customers preferring self-service pickup boxes for delivery.