The market leader is currently the Kofola Group, which operates nearly 50 UGO bars. Last February, Kofola bought out the competing chain Mangaloo, which at the time was running 17 bars. At the same time, last year it opened 12 new bars.
"With the acquisition of Mangaloo, we are greatly strengthened in Prague," said UGO brand manager Martin Klofanda. Original UGO bars were all in Moravia, but also in Plzen and Mlada Boleslav.
Another major player in the market is the Fruitisimo chain. "Currently we have 40 Fruitisimo stores in all regions of the country, except the Central region, Karlovy Vary and Zlín, as well as in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, where he currently run four stores," stated Klara Jakubková of Fruitisimo. Last year, the company opened ten new branches.
Czech customers are said to be rather conservative in the choice of their drinks. The most popular, according to Klofanda, are strawberry and banana mixes, but citrus and vegetable juices are also popular, especially also beverages with carrot juice. "The so-called green smoothies are also growing in popularity," added Klofanda.
Klofanda also states that the usual profile of fresh bar customers are women aged between 20 and 50 years, while men represent about a third of the clients. The company plans to expand with the introduction of vending machines in schools, as well as focusing some promotional activities on the elderly.
Source: denik.cz
