By combining the highest level of knowhow from domestic trade with our experts who’ve worked and trained on platforms like Amazon, Allegro and other successful platforms, we created Shoppster as we know it today ~ says Shoppster CEO Ljiljana Ahmetović
When a company achieves a 100% increase in turnover over two consecutive years, despite challenges on the global and local markets, its leadership has every reason to feel proud and to target even more ambitious goals. In this interview with Shoppster CEO Ljiljana Ahmetović, we delve into the company’s successes and plans, as well as other inspirational topics.
As we approach the end of another successful business year, we don’t need to determine whether you recorded growth in your turnover and offer, but rather how much growth you achieved.
— The year is far from over for us, considering everything that awaits us during the eCommerce industry’s peak season of November and December. However, let’s start from the beginning…
This past year has been the most successful since Shoppster was founded, while it has simultaneously been the most challenging, with numerous setbacks, both at the macroeconomic (primarily regarding wholesale price increases, inflation, and global events) and local levels, from new and healthy competition to unfair pressures. We’ve already boasted about Shoppster having achieved a turnover growth rate of 100% for two consecutive years. And we continued our intensive growth in 2024, with the final percentage to be seen at year’s end. This growth has been driven primarily by increases in sales, which resulted from a strategy focused on the constant expansion of the product range, the introduction of new promotions and improvements to the customer experience.
One of Shoppster’s biggest advantages in the regional eCommerce market today is its highly competent team, which is my greatest source of satisfaction
New payment models have enhanced the shopping experience on Shoppster and motivated many to return. Our collaboration with SBB and the instalment purchasing option provided to their users has activated new customers and increased revenue. We additionally developed a digital administrative prohibition (ADZ) as another payment instalment option that’s now available to a broader market. We aren’t only working on benefits for our customers, but are also developing the same for our suppliers and vendors. In collaboration with Finspot and with support from USAID’s EoG project, Shoppster has offered a new financial service to our suppliers, who can now manage their liquidity independently using digital factoring directly on our platform.
I am particularly proud of the improvement in all of Shoppster’s business results, including the bottom line. I believe that responsible business is actually profitable business. We work constantly to improve processes, technological solutions and the tools we use, which enhances the efficiency and productivity of all our resources.
Did you believe from the outset that Shoppster would quickly become the No. 1 hub for connecting customers and suppliers, small entrepreneurs and global brands and manufacturers, as well as couriers?
— Of course we believed that. Strong faith in the goal and vision we set from the start, consistency, persistence and the entire team’s dedication have brought us this far. Not everyone shared our enthusiasm initially, but that only makes our shared success all the sweeter and more significant. I know we were a surprise to many, but I am today proud that Shoppster has built a recognisable and beloved brand, becoming an official winner of the “Brand of the Year” trust award and a preferred partner of thousands of business partners and suppliers.
You now have over 600,000 products and 4,500 brands across all categories, a TV platform, multiple delivery tracking options and millions of monthly visits… How did you establish your business model and expand the company?
— Shoppster is a favourite one-stop shop destination for millions of customers aged from 7 to 77 and beyond, but it was initially envisaged as a large marketplace for everyone wanting their goods to reach their customers quickly, easily and safely, and for customers to find everything they need in one place. By connecting the eCommerce platform with United Group’s media network, we created the first and largest integrated online and TV platform in our region. Integrating our platform with all the services of DExpress, the most advanced courier service, has ensured secure and swift deliveries for both small and large shipments, as well as providing a range of delivery options, including parcel lockers, and continuity in offering new delivery services.
Although we live in a high-tech era, it’s still the people who make a company and business successful. What was it like to build, step by step, the team that has made Shoppster what it is today?
— Building a team is both the most rewarding and challenging aspect of this job. From recruiting to team member development, it’s a major responsibility for me. One of Shoppster’s biggest advantages on today’s regional eCommerce market is our highly competent team, and that is my greatest satisfaction at the moment. I must admit that when you spend most of your day with the people with whom you work, sharing the same values and striving to achieve the same goals, you’re more than just colleagues.
Growth has been driven primarily by increased sales, as the result of a strategy focused on expanding the product range, introducing new promotions and enhancing the customer experience
Shoppster is a medium-sized company in terms of employee numbers, but we all know each other very well and I’ve worked with many colleagues for longer than Shoppster has existed. I truly believe that a strong team is one of the prerequisites for success, and we work to strengthen our bonds and relationships on a daily basis.
Given that Shoppster operates in Slovenia and that you are the head of the eCommerce Association of Serbia, you’re certainly able to objectively assess our standing compared to the EU and developed markets.
— Participating in the Xperience Leading Digital Success 2024 conference was an opportunity to share with colleagues in Serbia not only EU experiences, but also global insights, as we had the participation of companies like Google, Microsoft and others. Leading the eCommerce Association has allowed me to share my knowledge with other eCommerce players in Serbia and to learn from them. We do the same at the Group level, as Shoppster is the eCommerce business of United Group, the leading tech and media company in this part of the world.
Is there a major award in the eCommerce and marketing industry that you haven’t won? We’re not asking merely for the purpose of listing achievements, but to understand how much the professional public recognises the significance of the work you do…
— Thank you for the compliment and observation. Indeed, 2024 has been fruitful for awards, from those granted by professional marketing juries – where we truly won everything – to those awarded by customers and the tech community. Every award, whether more or less expected, has provided a real energy boost to our team. We were officially recognised for the best marketing campaign, declared eCommerce champion and awarded as the best marketplace. We face an even greater challenge in maintaining our level of quality and raising our bar even higher next year.