Halfords Opens Superstores in Czech Republic

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Sport retail chains have discovered the former eastern European countries as a new growth market. Halfords opened three stores in the Czech Republic during 2007, the first time the UK company has ventured outside its traditional territory of the British Isles, where 428 of these stores flourish.

The stores in the Czech Republic are mostly 'superstores' in the highest area category up to 1,400 square metres. Halfords build their stores in three size formats. Apart from the mentioned superstores, they build shopping parks, which are located in shopping galleries of shopping centres with an area up to 400 square metres, and city stores, which are shops up to 200 square metres located in the city centres where visitor frequency is high.

Different Concept

The first store was opened in the vicinity of Makro near Prague in Pruhonice, the next followed in Plzen, and the third was opened in the largest shopping centre in the Czech Republic, in Praha-Letnany.

The shopping conception - 'everything for cars and cycling at one place' has no parallel in the Czech Republic. Halfords combine sales with services ('We'll fit it and we'll repair it'). The concept is based on a combination of a wide choice of goods, expert consulting and expert assembly. Thus Halfords, for example, opens the possibility of tuning and car individualization, repairs and bicycle improvements not only for do-it-yourself handymen, but also for laymen.

In 2008 four other stores are planned for Ostrava, Hradec Kralove, Liberec, and Praha-Zlicin.

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