Heinemann opens new border shop in the Czech Republic

Nicole Mezzasalma

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The Travel Free Shop at the Selb-Aš border crossing offers liquor, tobacco, fragrances and fashion products

Gebr Heinemann and Unimex Group joint venture Travel Free has opened its newest shopping centre at the Selb-Aš border crossing, which is used by about 400,000 Germans to enter the Czech Republic every month. The complex offers liquor, tobacco, fragrances and fashion items at discounted prices, and includes a restaurant and a casino.

Until 2004 duty-free shops were able to operate between the passport control posts. The company claimed that with the Czech Republic’s entry into the EU in May 2004, the Travel Free concept became the German-Czech duty-paid equivalent at border crossings.

Heinemann manager for Eastern Europe Ralf Tiedt said: “Our many years of contact with brand owners and suppliers, in addition to our business relationships here in the Czech Republic, enabled us to convince all those involved including the authorities, of the benefits of maintaining the popular border shops.”

Travel Free shops are located at the German-Czech border crossings of  Selb-Aš, Sohland-Šluknov Rožany, Schmilka-Hřensko, Waidhaus-Rozvadov and Furth im Wald-Folmava, as well as at the Austrian-Czech crossings at  Weigetschlag-Studánky, Wullowitz-Dolní Dvořiště and Drasenhofen-Mikulov.