// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs HP Tronic a printer brand? Does it toner-ly love electronics?
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Milan Hradil |
| Headquarters | , Czech Republic |
Area served | Czech Republic, Slovakia |
| Brands | Datart, NAY, ETA |
Number of employees | 4,700 (2025) |
| Website | www |
HP Tronic (stylised as HP TRONIC) is a Czech business group based in Zlín. It is primarily active in the retail and distribution of consumer electronics and household appliances. Its businesses include Datart in the Czech Republic, NAY in Slovakia and the household-appliance brand ETA. The group also operates in tourism and hospitality.[1]
Founded in 1990 by Milan Hradil, HP Tronic expanded through acquisitions including online retailer Kasa.cz, appliance company ETA and a stake in Datart. HP Tronic and Datart combined their businesses in 2017. In 2024, the group's electronics business was combined with Slovak retailer NAY, creating the NAY-DATART group.[2][3]
History
[edit]HP Tronic was founded in Zlín in 1990 by Milan Hradil. It began as a consumer-electronics business and expanded into wholesale and retail during the 1990s. Hradil died in 1999, and the company was inherited by his wife and daughters. Daniel Večeřa and Petr Res, who had joined the company as employees during the 1990s, subsequently became co-owners and took over its management.[1]
The company expanded into online retail during the 2000s. In 2008, it began acquiring Internet Retail, which operated the Czech online store Kasa.cz and the Slovak store Hej.sk. HP Tronic completed the acquisition in 2013 by purchasing the remaining 44% stake.[4]
In 2011, HP Tronic acquired Czech household-appliance company ETA from the investment group Benson Oak.[5] ETA subsequently became one of the group's main consumer brands.
Expansion through Datart
[edit]HP Tronic acquired a 20% stake in Datart in 2014. In 2017, the companies agreed to combine their businesses. The resulting group included Datart, Euronics, Kasa.cz and Hej.sk and had annual revenue of more than CZK 14 billion and around 130 stores. Genesis Private Equity Fund III also became a minority investor.[2]
HP Tronic subsequently concentrated its Czech electronics retail operations under the Datart brand, with Euronics stores converted to Datart.[3]
In April 2024, HP Tronic bought the remaining 25% stake held by Genesis Private Equity Fund III, giving it full ownership of the electronics business that included Datart and ETA.[6]
Combination with NAY
[edit]In 2023, HP Tronic agreed to combine its electronics business with Slovak retailer NAY, which also owned the Electro World chain in the Czech Republic. The Czech Office for the Protection of Competition approved the transaction in March 2024.[7] The Slovak competition authority approved it in May 2024 subject to conditions, including the sale of nine NAY stores in Slovakia.[8]
As part of the integration, Electro World stores in the Czech Republic were converted to Datart, while Datart stores in Slovakia were converted to NAY.[3] The combined business became known as NAY-DATART. HP Tronic's retail and wholesale activities are concentrated in NAY-DATART a.s., which operates Datart in the Czech Republic and NAY in Slovakia.[9]
For 2024, the NAY-DATART group reported turnover of CZK 40.1 billion and EBITDA of CZK 1.143 billion.[10]
Genesis Capital returned as an investor in 2025, when Genesis Private Equity Fund IV acquired a minority stake in NAY-DATART. Czech investment group RSJ participated as a co-investor.[11]
Business activities
[edit]The group's core business is consumer-electronics and household-appliance retail. Its main retail brands are Datart in the Czech Republic and NAY in Slovakia. ETA manages a portfolio of household-appliance and consumer-electronics brands.[12]
HP Tronic has also been active in tourism and hospitality since the 1990s. It operates Resort Valachy in Velké Karlovice and Bistrotéka Valachy in Zlín.[13] The group has also invested in hotel properties in Zlín, including the hotel section of the former Baťa department store and Hotel Prior.[14]
Competition proceedings
[edit]In May 2026, the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition fined HP TRONIC Zlín CZK 38.971 million for prohibited resale-price agreements. The authority found that for more than ten years from 2012, the company had set minimum resale prices for retailers of household appliances, consumer electronics, computer equipment and telecommunications products.[15]
HP Tronic admitted the conduct as part of a settlement but appealed the amount of the fine.[15] In August 2026, the chairman of the competition authority rejected the appeal and upheld the CZK 38.971 million penalty in a final administrative decision.[16]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Katz, Ondřej (2 February 2022). "Do jejich říše patří ETA či Datart. Ve Zlíně jsou z nich Podnikatelé roku". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- 1 2 Šenk, Michal; Aliapulios, Janis (14 June 2017). "Řetězec Datart a majitel obchodů Euronics či Kasa.cz se spojí do jedné firmy". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Economia. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Hodková, Zuzana (23 April 2024). "Z Česka zmizí Electro World. Vše mají v rukách Slováci, říká majitel". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Mašek, Jaroslav (17 April 2013). "Prodejce spotřebičů HP Tronic plně ovládne Kasu.cz". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Lukáč, Petr (7 October 2011). "Eichler prodal firmu ETA spolumajiteli řetězce Euronics". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Economia. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Hodková, Zuzana (22 April 2024). "Datart má jediného majitele. HP Tronic vykoupil podíl fondu Genesis". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Spojení soutěžitelů HP Invest a.s. / HP TRONIC-prodejny elektro a.s. / NAY a.s." (in Czech). Office for the Protection of Competition. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "KONCENTRÁCIE: PMÚ schválil koncentráciu podnikateľov v oblasti predaja elektroniky s podmienkami" (in Slovak). Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "NAY-DATART a.s." HP Tronic. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Hodková, Zuzana (5 November 2025). "Sázka na prodejny vyšla. Datartu se daří, tržby vloni překonaly 40 miliard". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Genesis Capital invests in the NAY-DATART group". Genesis Capital. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "List of companies". HP Tronic. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Krmelová, Petra (22 November 2021). "V krizi málem „vykrváceli". Teď mají wellness chuť investovat stovky milionů". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "HP Tronic". Forbes Czechia (in Czech). MediaRey, SE. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- 1 2 "HP Tronic Faces Nearly CZK 40 Million Fine for Dictating Prices to Retailers" (Press release). Office for the Protection of Competition. 6 May 2026. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ "Předseda ÚOHS Petr Mlsna potvrdil pokutu pro HP TRONIC" (Press release) (in Czech). Office for the Protection of Competition. 31 August 2026. Retrieved 25 September 2026.