The range of alternatives to conventional supermarket shopping in Czech cities has expanded significantly over the past decade. Bulk food shops, weekly farmers markets, second-hand clothing networks, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) arrangements now operate in most large Czech cities — and in some medium-sized towns. This article maps what exists and how residents use it.
Bulk and Package-Free Shops
Bezobalu, founded in Prague in 2017, is the most recognised package-free food shop in Czech Republic. The concept operates on a bring-your-own-container model: dried goods, pulses, nuts, oils, and cleaning products are sold by weight into customer-provided vessels. As of 2025, Bezobalu operates three locations in Prague (Žižkov, Vinohrady, Holešovice) and maintains a mail-order network for customers outside the capital.
The package-free model is not limited to specialist shops. Supermarket chains including Albert and Billa introduced refill stations for liquids in selected Prague locations from 2022 onward, following broader European retail trends. Kaufland Czech Republic introduced bulk nut and dried fruit dispensers in its larger hypermarkets. These are not full zero-waste implementations — they sit alongside conventional packaged goods — but they represent a measurable reduction for customers who use them consistently.
Farmers Markets in Czech Cities
Prague hosts approximately 35 regular farmářské trhy (farmers markets) operating on weekly or twice-weekly schedules. The longest-running and most commercially significant is the market at náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad (Jiřák), which has operated since 2009 and draws several hundred vendors and thousands of visitors weekly during the spring-autumn season.
Other established Prague markets include those at Kubánské náměstí, Nusle, Manifesto Market (Holešovice), and Smíchov. Regional markets of comparable scale operate in Brno (Zelný trh, the historic vegetable market dating to the 13th century), Olomouc, Plzeň, and České Budějovice.
Czech farmářské trhy collectively reported a 34% increase in registered vendor-market relationships between 2019 and 2024, according to the Asociace farmářských trhů ČR. Much of that growth occurred in smaller regional cities rather than Prague.
Purchasing Directly from Producers
Community-supported agriculture (bedýnkové schéma or CSA) has operated in Czech Republic since approximately 2010. Subscribers pay in advance for a weekly box of seasonal vegetables from a single farm or small producer collective. Notable CSA operations serving Prague include Kokoza (which also runs urban agriculture installations), Farma Rudná, and several smaller farms in the Central Bohemian Region. Prices are generally comparable with supermarket seasonal produce, with no packaging waste and shorter supply chains.
Second-Hand Markets and Clothing
Second-hand clothing retail has expanded considerably in Czech cities since 2019. The number of registered second-hand shops (vetešnictví, second hand, vintage obchody) in Prague increased by an estimated 30% between 2019 and 2024 based on business registry data. National chains such as Vinted (operating online) and the expansion of local charity shops (Diakonie Českobratrské církve evangelické, Caritas) have increased both supply and awareness.
From 2025, EU textile regulation (transposed via Czech law) requires separate textile collection, which will increase volumes reaching re-use and recycling channels. The Czech organisation Textil Recycling a.s. processed approximately 18,000 tonnes of collected textiles in 2023, of which around 55% was redirected to re-use markets (primarily Eastern Europe and Africa) and 30% to industrial fibre recycling.
Urban Cycling as a Daily Habit
Modal share of cycling for daily trips in Prague reached approximately 3.4% in 2023, according to the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Praha). That figure remains lower than Amsterdam (38%) or Copenhagen (26%) but represents roughly a doubling of the 2013 share. The expansion of dedicated cycling infrastructure — Praha přidává cyklotrasy — added 48 km of new protected lanes between 2019 and 2024.
Shared bike systems operating in Czech cities include Rekola (the pink bikes operating in Prague, Brno, Olomouc, and Plzeň), Nextbike, and the emerging e-bike subscription networks. For grocery trips within a 5 km radius, cargo bike rentals are available through several Prague shops including Cargo Collective at Rohanský ostrov and Bike Zázemí in Holešovice.
Food Waste Reduction
Czech Republic generates approximately 1.8 million tonnes of food waste annually (Waste Management Plan of Czech Republic 2025–2031 draft), of which 41% originates from households. The Too Good To Go app — operating in Czech Republic since 2019 — allows restaurants and food retailers to sell surplus food at reduced prices rather than dispose of it. As of late 2024, over 4,000 Czech restaurants and shops participated in the app's network.
Apps including Nakup bez zbytků and community food-sharing points (sdílecí ledničky — community fridges) have been established in Prague districts including Žižkov, Holešovice, and Dejvice. The community fridge model operates on a bring-share-take basis, with local volunteers managing stock.
Electronics and Durable Goods
Czech law requires all sellers of electronic goods to accept returns of equivalent used products at point of sale, at no cost to the customer. This povinný zpětný odběr applies to washing machines, televisions, computers, small household appliances, and lighting. Major retailers including Alza.cz, Datart, and Mall.cz collect returned electronics either at their premises or via courier pick-up.
Refurbished electronics retail has grown via Czech-focused platforms including Bazos.cz (classifieds), Aukro.cz, and the European refurbishment network Back Market, which entered Czech Republic in 2022. Buying a certified refurbished laptop or smartphone produces approximately 70% less carbon than an equivalent new device, according to lifecycle analysis published by the European Environment Agency in 2023.
Last updated: 10 April 2026