Rohlík is expanding into the Moravian-Silesian region. It will serve 250 new towns, including regions without local stores

The online store has a chance to reach 80% of the Czech Republic and will also offer delivery in towns where local grocery stores have not been operating for a long time. "We want to give people a chance to buy great local assortment and quality products, so it was important for us to start operating also in smaller towns that have been dealing with the absence of grocery stores for some time," says Rohlík's director Martin Beháň, adding that Rohlík actively approached and sought out local producers and farmers to include their products in the offer for customers from the region. "This is very important for us, it gives a boost to the local economy and highlights the importance of local production and local sales," Beháň adds.

The emphasis on developing local distribution is one of Rohlik's main goals. The long-term functional model is to support dozens of local retail brands, which, thanks to Rohlik's services, reach hundreds of thousands of customers, which would normally be impossible for them in cooperation with traditional retail chains.

Local range and more affordable service

New collaborations in the Moravian-Silesian region will help local companies to develop logistics and market their products. And they will bring customers what the company prides itself on - the freshest food delivered in just 60 minutes from order to door. For example, craft beer from Beskydy Brewery, donuts and pastries from Lujza, products from Croissant House or cold cuts and meat from the renowned U Bobra butcher shop will be available at Rohlik. And if Moravian-Silesian inhabitants lack certain raw materials or brands, Rohlík is ready to continuously expand its assortment according to customer demand.

It is not only the product mix that will be new for customers, but also the service. The Ostrava warehouse will allow customers in the region to buy a much wider range of products than before and to use delivery services in a faster mode. This includes 15-minute delivery windows and express deliveries within 60 minutes of ordering. Standard delivery times will be reduced to 3 hours and a money back guarantee in the event of customer dissatisfaction is a given.

The Ostrava distribution centre was built on the premises of CTP Ostrava Poruba and will occupy 9,000 m². Rohlík will equip the warehouse with modern conveyors and basic technologies for efficient transport of prepared purchases. And like the company's other warehouses, this new one will have specially cooled and frozen areas to meet the temperature requirements of the products being delivered. A Benu pharmacy is envisaged within the warehouse space. A bakery is planned to open in the near future. The total investment in the operation and equipment of the distribution centre will exceed CZK 90 million.

Warehouse conveyors are used for horizontal and vertical transport, with the possibility of further automation in the future. It is expected that by the end of the year the efficiency of the Ostrava warehouse will reach a comparable level to the company's other warehouses with similar automation. Rohlik.cz plans to have this warehouse delivering more than 5,000 orders per day by the end of the year, which represents a tens of percent increase in orders nationwide. "Overall, we are growing at a double-digit rate in the market. With Ostrava, we will accelerate the pace by around 20% nationwide," comments Martin Beháň.

More Rohlik in new locations and also in villages without stores

Thanks to the new distribution centre, Rohlík will not only improve and speed up its existing services in the regions of the Moravian-Silesian Region, but also extend them to other locations where it did not offer them before or only to a limited extent. Now the service will be available in almost 90% of the Moravian-Silesian Region. Residents of Bruntál, Třinec, Valašské Meziříčí, Vsetín, Krnov, Rýmařov, Nový Jičín, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Fulnek, Moravské Beroun and Jablunkov will be able to try the services of Rohlik. In addition, thanks to the transfer of orders from Brno to Ostrava, new areas shipped from the Brno warehouse will also open up, namely Litomyšl, Polička, Česká Třebová, Pelhřimov, Dačice, Jemnice, Moravské Budějovice, Šumperk, Zábřeh, Lanškroun, Bystřice nad Pernštejnem and their surroundings.

Customer first and better service for senior shopping

On the occasion of the expansion of its services, Rohlík decided to take several steps to reach new customers from the Moravian-Silesian region. From the opening of the new warehouse until Christmas, it will offer weekly discounts and special promotions, plus a number of other new features.

Beyond the Premium Club membership, Rohlík will offer its two special clubs in the region - for seniors and parents with children. Rohlik in the Region wants to accommodate them and make the delivery of fresh local food more affordable for them. For seniors, the company offers more affordable services and easier shopping. Already in the fall, Rohlik expanded the discounted ordering options in its "Rohlik without Barriers" club, which offers, among other things, shopping assistance or special discounts. Until now, seniors could order their purchases with free shipping from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. only on select days of the week. Now, Rohlik has extended free delivery to the entire week so that seniors or the disabled can order their purchases on the day they really need them. And it's counting on that service in its new locations, too.

The Rohlicek Kids Club offers a more convenient shopping experience for parents with children under 12 to save families time and money. From Sunday to Thursday, there is free shipping for parents between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. In addition, they can choose from special discounts on children's and drugstore items. Club members collect points for every purchase over £2,000, which they can then use to buy more products from the wide range.

New job opportunities and logistics development

The opening of the distribution centre will create around 80 new jobs for new employees in the Ostrava region. Rohlik.cz is also planning to establish cooperation with more than 300 new carriers for the delivery of orders.

Source: rohlik.cz