Largest Czech Online Retailer Alza Accepts Bitcoin, Installs 2 Bitcoin ATMs in Showrooms

The largest Czech online retailer Alza has started accepting bitcoin and has installed a Bitcoin ATM in two of its showrooms; one in Prague and one in Bratislava.

Also read: Russia’s Largest Online Retailer Ulmart to Accept Bitcoin in September

Alza Starts Accepting Bitcoin

Founded in 1994, Alza.cz Inc was previously called Alzasoft. Originally known for electronics and computer technology, Alza now sells a wide range of products including home electronics, toys, cosmetics, magazines, and sporting goods. The company expanded its operations into 26 European countries in 2014.

Today Alza is the largest online retailer in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with 643 million euros turnover in 2016. The company boasts 15 million orders dispatched, over 50,000 products and 24-month warranty.

In December 2016, vice-chairman of Alzashop.com, Tomáš Havryluk, told Internet Retailing that “Alzashop.com is one of the most successful online stores not only in the Czech Republic, but on a European scale.” Citing that almost 40 percent of technical product sales in the Czech Republic are over the internet, he revealed that “website traffic on Alzashop.com exceeds 300,000 users every day.”

Lupa.cz reported on Thursday that the online retailer has introduced bitcoin payments on its platform. The new payment option is already showing on its website, available for shoppers to use. All of its stores in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Britain and on Alzashop.com now accept the digital currency via Bitcoinpay, the publication details.

Jan Sadílek, Alza’s Head of Internet Marketing, said (loosely translated):

Prague is already one of the most important centers of Bitcoin in Europe. The introduction of bitcoin payments is going to meet the growing popularity of this form of payment and the potential of new technologies.

Two Bitcoin ATMs Installed

In addition to accepting bitcoin, Alza has also installed a Bitcoin ATM (BTM) in two of its showrooms, according to Lupa.cz. One BTM is in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. The other is in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Anyone can use the machines to buy bitcoin for crowns or euros, and vice versa.

Alza is the second major online retailer to embrace bitcoin this month. Russia’s largest online retailer, Ulmart, announced last week that it will start accepting bitcoin in September. According to Lupa.cz, Alza is also planning to add a number of other cryptocurrencies in the future such as litecoin or ethereum.

What do you think of Alza accepting bitcoin and installing Bitcoin ATMs? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Euro.cz, Lupa.cz, and Alza.cz

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