27 February 2023

Fruitisimo expands abroad

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company's long-planned expansion was postponed. However, the company plans to open new stores in Germany, Poland and Austria. In addition, Wood & Company has recently reinvested in Fruitisimo, increasing its stake from 3% to 8%.

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The company's expansion began in Germany, where it opened its first stores in Dresden and Regensburg. The process of setting up new branches was slower than anticipated until a local country manager was hired to oversee the expansion. The company's goal is to open 11 new stores in Germany and five in Poland and Austria, with a minimum of five stores required to ensure profitability in each country. Subsequently, the company plans to expand by offering franchises, which would reduce the capital intensity of expanding the store network and allow entry into additional countries.

Fruitisimo is a Czech company specialising in fresh juices, founded twenty years ago by Jan Hummel and his classmate Tomáš Lichtenberg. They first noticed the concept of fresh juices during their stay in the USA. Since then, their paths have diverged and Hummel has become the main figure in the chain. The company has now grown to 70 locations across the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, and its network continues to grow every day.

Fruitisimo is enjoying extraordinary success in Hungary, where local franchises have seen a 120% year-on-year increase in sales. Meanwhile, the company's total sales climbed 66% to CZK 330 million and profits jumped 150%. The company's target for this year is to reach half a billion CZK in sales. Among other things, Fruitisimo is considering a stock market entry and deepening its cooperation with the Wood & Company group. The initial public offering of shares would take place on the Prague Start Stock Exchange.