In 2018, E-Horeca.mk officially started operations and received its first e-order. What is E-Horeca and what preceded it before starting work? Was the desire to improve existing solutions one of the factors for starting the business?

Pavel: E-Horeca is the latest project of Slayton Komerc DOOEL, a company that has been present in the Macedonian market for more than 30 years. The idea for E-Horeca came from observing and analyzing the Macedonian market, where there was no choice of coffee and coffee capsules at all. Part of it is because until recently Macedonia was a closed market, so trends and prices were formed by supermarkets, malls, etc. And the companies used all that well. Currently, the situation is much different and more favorable. E-Horeca, through its channels, managed to provide its customers with more than 500 types of coffee and coffee capsules at reasonable prices, which were not present in our market before.

Undoubtedly yes. E-Horeca offers a huge selection of premium coffee brands that can be delivered to your home with one click. Offering the enjoyment of quality coffee from the comfort of everyone’s home and the office was an important factor in starting and expanding this business.

How has the development of E-Horeca been from day #1 to today and what was your first milestone that changed the trajectory? We would also like to know what is your primary focus, what are the core values of the brand and how did you change the “game” in the market?

Pavel:The place where the whole business started is Macedonia. With intensive work and great dedication, we managed to break into the Kosovo market, and later on the Albanian market. After laying the foundations in these three markets, we decided it was time for something more challenging, so we moved to the Greek market and also moved our headquarters to Greece.

The success of a given business lies in adapting the appropriate business model according to what is required by a given market. Of course, business models have changed during our operations and expansion towards new and different markets. All four markets are different, but also partially similar. The need for constant research and improvement of the business model in order for it to succeed in a specific market is of great importance.

The main goal when expanding the business to other markets is learning the novelties that they offer. If novelties are discovered and perceived from all markets where the business is present – success is certain. E-Horeca is constantly learning about the novelties offered by each particular market and it advances by applying those novelties that it thinks would give a good result.

Our primary focus is the novelties of the world market as well as the creation of unique offers for our customers that will always be at the most favorable prices. We aim to be creative with our portfolio and satisfy the tastes of all our customers. Our core values ​​and drivers in our work are innovation, persistence, and integrity, and we have become “game changers” with more than 500 coffee products, with exclusive, newest, and most current coffees, and at the same time with the best offer and price on the market.

Apart from the Macedonian market, E-Horeca is also present in the Greek, Albanian, and Kosovo markets. What were the challenges during regional expansion, is there a difference between the habits of e-buyers, which detail of regional e-commerce would you like to apply to our market, and what from Macedonian e-commerce would you suggest to regional e-traders to apply?

Pavel: Regional expansion began first with Kosovo and Albania where the challenge was faced. We are still working hard with our delivery partners to ensure that products are delivered as quickly as possible and to be reliable for our customers. When it was previously delivered, the delivery system in Greece is really perfected to the highest level in that the buyer receives a personalized tracking code when the order is created, and the products are delivered within 24-48 hours, regardless of which part from the country it is located.

Delivery is one of the most important factors in e-commerce operations and the combined delivery method is the true value of our company’s professionalism. E-Horeca is known for the fact that products in our portfolio are self-imported, so there are other inevitable challenges present in a business combination, which as the import of its goods. On the Greek market, coffee is considered an excise good, which makes the import itself not at all simpler compared to the import of coffee in Macedonia. But in contrast, the purchasing power and awareness of electronic commerce are at a higher level, and thus the competitiveness.

Sublimate your e-commerce experience and convey it as an essential lesson that future e-tailers should know.

Pavel: With the evolution of technology itself, e-commerce is also evolving. E-commerce has already grown into an intertwined chain of opportunities and challenges that, if explored and learned, lead to sure success. Follow the trends and learn every day, the world is full of opportunities.

Pavel, we are grateful for the answers and look forward to your success 🚀