photo: Rudolf Komár for PrahaIN.cz/Kofola in the store, illustrative photo
Kofola is one of the most famous and popular Czech drinks. However, it is not only popular in our market. We also covered it as part of the National Treasures series in the second half of April.
“Although we are primarily a traditional, local company operating mainly in the Czech and Slovak Republics, some of our brands are also gaining fame abroad. We currently export to twelve other countries, the most distant of which are the USA and Canada. Our products are also available in Belgium, Ireland, Romania or Germany, but also on store shelves in Jordan or Libya. Brands that are better understood by local customers generally do better in foreign markets. The unconventional combination of cola drink, herbs and fruit is not just for some. And while, for example, Semtex scores points in Jordan, Royal Crown Cola is doing well elsewhere. There is usually the greatest interest in our traditional brands Kofola and Vinea where the communities of Czechs, Slovaks and Poles live, i.e. in Great Britain, the USA or Canada, for example,” explained spokeswoman Jana Ptačinská (Národní poklady: Kofola HERE).
Different types of Kofola drinks in a supermarket. Source: PrahaIN.cz
In this context, PrahaIN.cz searched for the possibility of buying Kofola abroad. We found her in a very unusual place. The Czech drink is available on the American online store Amazon.
A liter pack of Kofola costs an unbelievable 39 dollars (about 920 crowns).
One Kofola for the price of dinner for two
But that’s not all, if you wanted to order a one-liter drink from Amazon, as we tried, and entered an address in the Czech Republic, you’ll have to add shipping and handling, which amounts to less than $12.
The total order would thus cost $50.99, which is around 1,200 crowns.
From the Amazon cart, bill for one Kofola. Source: Amazon/PrahaIN.cz
According to information from Amazon, the Czech company Czech Goods s.r.o., based in Ostrava, sells this product. It also performs under the name Czech Movies and specializes in exporting Czech products to the world.
It also has its own e-shop, where a liter of Kofola is considerably cheaper – $5.95 (about 140 crowns). A half liter costs 3.65.
Usually in the USA for a ‘few’ dollars
The editors contacted the company already in the second half of March. We were primarily interested in why Kofola is so expensive on Amazon. We also asked about their business and products in general.
Still no response.
Let’s add that, according to Kofola press spokesperson Jana Ptačinská, the regular price of a two-liter Kofola on the American market ranges from three to four dollars. A pint is around two dollars.
“In general, we cannot dictate the final price of the products sold to our customers, we can only provide recommended retail prices. I checked the information with my export colleagues, and the sale of Kofola on Amazon that you refer to is not carried out through any of our customers or partners. So we don’t know the details of the agreements between the interested parties,” she told the server PrahaIN.cz.
