A new grocery delivery option for Czechia: How does Billa rate?

Billa customers in Prague and Brno can now shop online thanks to the supermarket chain’s new e-shop, which officially launched a pilot phase on Monday. After evaluating the testing phase, the grocery store plans to expand the service throughout Czechia.

In a press release, the Austria-owned chain wrote that shoppers can choose from up to 7,000 items, with delivery guaranteed within three hours of ordering.

During the test phase of the e-shop customers can order meat, dairy, produce, bread, and other grocery items, ready-made meals, baguettes, drugstore goods, flowers, and pet supplies. The minimum order for delivery is CZK 200.

"Our vision is to be more accessible to customers so that everyone who wants to shop with us can find their favorite Billa around the corner. That is why we strive to expand our network in the long term in order to fulfill this vision," Liam Casey, CEO of Billa Česká republika, said in a press release.

Currently, e-shop orders are filled from warehouses in Prague and Brno. Groceries are delivered by the DoDo logistics service.

After trial operation and evaluation of customer feedback, Billa will proceed to launch live operation. "Once we pass the testing phase, we will aim to launch as quickly as possible in the rest of the Czech Republic," Casey said.

The first Billa supermarket opened in Brno in 1991. Tesco was the first of the large chains to offer delivery of food ordered via the Internet, a service has been in operation since the beginning of 2012. It competes mainly with the specialized "online supermarkets" Rohlík.cz and Košík.cz, the latter of which has been cooperating with Kaufland since 2020.

Delivery in Czechia is also provided by Albert (Brno, Ostrava, and Olomouc only), Penny (Pilsen only), Coop (South Moravia), and Lidl (non-food items). The Globus chain offers delivery service in Prague's Zličín district and Ostrava.