The influence of information and communication technologies in the field of trade, through digital marketing and e-commerce, especially in the Covid and post-Covid period, has the intention of taking precedence over the traditional way of trade. What is your experience so far, both as a seller and as a buyer?

When we talk about consumers in Montenegro, it is more difficult for them to decide on online trade and how to adapt to online trade and gaining trust, it goes slower. From past experience, we can say that the traditional way of trade is still dominant. Our attitude towards online trade is positive, and the slower growth trend of trade does not discourage us because we are looking to the future, and further development of digitalization awaits us in the future.

Evaluate the impact of social networks on bringing the offer closer to end users?

Social networks are, in slang terms, a “funnel”, which directs consumers towards purchases, whether they are made in a traditional way or online. We take a very dedicated approach to creating content on these channels and adapt to all trends and current events.

Sublime your experience in one message and convey it as a necessary lesson that future e-sellers should know.

A high-quality trading platform, simple and functional, as well as technically sound, is a prerequisite for a good start.

What is your proposal for the improvement of e-commerce business, in the sense that end users are more interested in this type of purchase? How to animate them, what to offer them (tie up with a bank, offer special cards for trade, improve logistics for delivery…)?

Creating quality content, a unique offer, interesting visual solutions, current blogs, are just some of the steps that need to be taken to get end users interested. Quality logistics as well as the method of payment by card is one of the prerequisites.

What strategy do you use to be recognized in the market as an e-commerce success story?

The initial strategy was based on a general marketing orientation, where we invested significant effort in creating a functional and receptive platform from the user’s point of view. The further strategy will be based on more aggressive promotion of the e-platform itself and the online drug store concept.

Delivery time is very important for the customer. How do you provide logistics for order delivery? Do you have contracts with the post office, transport or courier service, or have you developed your own delivery unit?

Delivery time is very important, that’s why we decided on one of the safest ways of delivery, which is cooperation with the Post of Montenegro.

The influence of information and communication technologies in the field of trade, through digital marketing and e-commerce, especially in the Covid and post-Covid period, has the intention of taking precedence over the traditional way of trade. What is your experience so far, both as a seller and as a buyer?

Today’s customer wants to satisfy his needs in the simplest possible way, which the Internet allows him to do much more efficiently compared to going to the point of sale. However, one does not exclude the other, so online stores today should be seen as another channel in which we are one step closer to our customers. How successful it will be depends to a large extent on the experience we provide within it.

Recognizing these circumstances, IDEA is the first consumer goods chain to open an online store in Montenegro. Our vision in this domain was clear from the very beginning – we wanted to enable customers to enjoy the possibility of quality shopping from the comfort of their home or office and thus save time.

The main challenge on this journey was educating customers and raising awareness of the advantages offered by online shopping. It was extremely important to convince them that this type of purchase is completely safe, that they can count on the fact that their order will actually be delivered at the time they specified, as well as that the quality of the delivered food will always be in the first place, i.e. that we will choose them for them with special care, just as they do when they go to the store.

Evaluate the impact of social networks on bringing the offer closer to end users?

Social networks have changed the way we access information and thus the way we make decisions. Today, they are the places where we find inspiration, we come into direct contact with products and brands, but also with their users, among whom, as a rule, are our friends in whom we trust.

On the other hand, users of social networks expect to receive answers to questions they are interested in at any time. This also represents a special challenge for traders who must be engaged and ready to provide a recommendation or more information when it is expected of them.

We can say that today customers carry their purchasing power in their pockets. What used to bring us going to the store, today we can achieve by simply scrolling through our accounts on social networks. We no longer have to call friends for recommendations, it is enough to ask a question and get answers. This is especially true for brands’ most desirable demographic: millennials.

Sublime your experience in one message and convey it as a necessary lesson that future e-sellers should know.

E-commerce is not a future trend, but the present, and by investing in its development, we are investing in the future of our business.

What is your proposal for the improvement of e-commerce business, in the sense that end users are more interested in this type of purchase? How to animate them, what to offer them (tie up with a bank, offer special cards for trade, improve logistics for delivery…)?

It is important to understand that business improvement in the e-commerce segment must be planned in accordance with the customer’s expectations. That’s why the first task is to understand how they make a purchase decision in the online environment. Customers want simple processes, steps that will be absolutely clear to them at all times and enable them to get what they came for as quickly, accurately and easily as possible.

This is also the reason why, respecting the needs of customers, we have made online shopping simple and adapted for everyone. The range of the IDEA online store is adapted to the demand that occurs at physical points of sale, but it is carefully improved by constantly listening and respecting the suggestions we receive from our online customers.

Of course, the development of the offer and the expansion of the assortment is a continuous process, and it is especially important that our customers do not have to research and compare prices, because all promotions and advantages for users of the Super Loyalty Card, as well as current and seasonal discounts are also valid in our online store.

What strategy do you use to be recognized in the market as an e-commerce success story?

The key to a successful strategy is in adapting to the market and target groups. You must monitor the needs of customers and accordingly invest in all aspects of e-commerce – from the selection of items, through the development of additional services and communication on those channels where the target groups are located, all the way to the top readiness and coordination of the teams that take care of – the purchase went flawlessly.

Delivery time is very important for the customer. How do you provide logistics for order delivery? Do you have contracts with the post office, transport or courier service, or have you developed your own delivery unit?

IDEA Online has its own temperature controlled vehicle delivery, so that all items are delivered in optimal condition.

The influence of information and communication technologies in the field of trade, through digital marketing and e-commerce, especially in the Covid and post-Covid period, has the intention of taking precedence over the traditional way of trade. What is your experience so far, both as a seller and as a buyer?

According to our experience, the webshop and the traditional store achieve a synergistic effect and, for now, are not in competition with each other. In the last decade, the purchasing decision-making process of the average customer has changed significantly. Before the popularization of the Internet, buyers physically visited all the suppliers, asked relatives and friends for advice, or absorbed recommendations from advertisements broadcast on the mass media. Today, that process is significantly shorter, because by using the Internet, information on the best offers is quickly obtained, and the advice of friends is slowly being replaced by the ratings and comments of other users on websites or social networks. In our case, the interest in certain products on the webshop is to the greatest extent spilled over to purchases in retail stores, and for customers inclined to purchase from a distance, we have provided fast delivery to the home address. The importance of the webshop was particularly evident in the period when there were restrictions on movement and economic activities caused by the COVID virus pandemic. Back then, a large number of people were forced to shop online, and we were ready to offer it to them.

Evaluate the impact of social networks on bringing the offer closer to end users?

Social networks provide the possibility of less formal, two-way communication with users. In this way, they develop warmer emotions towards the brand because they understand that it is not only made up of facilities, products and prices, but that behind it are people who convey the purpose of the company’s existence.

That is why we believe that companies should cautiously develop their presence on social networks and present their offer in an indirect way.

What prompted you to start selling online and are you satisfied with how the “new paradigm of money” works?

Realizing the changes in the way customers get information, in 2014 we published the first site where products from our range were presented, but without the possibility of online shopping. Users increasingly used Internet search engines as support in the purchasing process, and we then managed to position ourselves highly for the largest number of inquiries from our assortment. Given that we offer over 600 different product categories and that it is not easy to present them all to customers through traditional promotion channels, this project was of great importance for us. That is why we believe that the growth in the number of Internet users has greatly helped the development of traditional trade. Following signals from the market, in the middle of 2018 we decided to enable online shopping on our website, and with the help of partner companies, we delivered the ordered goods to customers’ home addresses.

What is your proposal for the improvement of e-commerce business, in the sense that end users are more interested in this type of purchase? How to animate them, what to offer them (tie up with a bank, offer special cards for trade, improve logistics for delivery…)?

We believe that the institutions should strengthen the control of all providers on the market in the area of ​​compliance with the Law on Consumer Protection, especially the provisions related to distance shopping. This will certainly lead to an increase in consumer confidence in this way of shopping.

The process of delivering goods could be improved by introducing parcel machines where couriers could leave parcels.

Do you have plans to expand your business outside the borders of our country?

Since 2019, our company has been operating on the Serbian market. We currently offer our range in two large sales centers in Belgrade and Čačak, and in the coming years we plan to expand the retail network in other cities in this market.

In parallel with the opening of the first sales center outside the territory of our country, Internet sales were launched, and the delivery of ordered goods, with the help of courier services, is carried out throughout the territory of Serbia.

Delivery time is very important for the customer. How do you provide logistics for order delivery? Do you have contracts with the post office, transport or courier service, or have you developed your own delivery unit?

We deliver the ordered goods in cooperation with the local courier service, which delivers within a short time to the entire territory of Montenegro. We are satisfied with the cooperation achieved and do not think about organizing the delivery on our own.

Do you offer any benefits for online shoppers, e.g. discount if shopping is done online?

We regularly approve promotional prices that are only valid for online orders. With this, we want to encourage those customers who are not inclined to this type of purchase.

The influence of information and communication technologies in the field of trade, through digital marketing and e-commerce, especially in the Covid and post-Covid period, has the intention to take precedence over the traditional way of trade. What is your experience so far, both as a seller and as a buyer?

E-commerce is commerce with many conveniences, but the traditional trip to the supermarket is still the most common way of shopping. The VOLI.me webshop project was created as a response to the Covid crisis. The company VOLI assembled a team that set big goals and achieved them. VOLI.me has the most modern platform and offers a wide range of items. Online payment is the only option, which provided absolute contactless trading. The webshop really achieved great success and was a novelty that eased the Covid crisis for many.

Evaluate the impact of social networks on bringing the offer closer to end users?

The past and present way of selling and buying are diametrically opposed. The development of technology and the availability of social networks makes your product available to everyone, anywhere in the world. Therefore, in order to sell anything, you only need the Internet, you can present your product with a picture, video and description. It has never been easy to market a product and it is very easy to sell through advertising, once again quality and reliability is what sells a product. Marketing investment is sometimes as important as product quality.

Sublimate your experience in one message and convey it as a necessary lesson that future e-sellers should know.

• E-commerce is the future of the next generations, it is important to develop and bring it closer to the user.
• Always be in step with the times and think ahead.
• Follow, listen and always be ready for the right and innovative moves, in response to a demanding market.
• Always respond to all customer needs, go the extra mile to provide impeccable service.
• Our satisfied customer is our greatest motivation.

What is your proposal for the improvement of e-commerce business, in the sense that end users will be more interested in this type of purchase? How to animate them, what to offer them (tie up with a bank, offer special cards for trade, improve delivery logistics…)?

Habits are slowly changing in Montenegro as well, this type of commerce is relatively new in our business and it will take some time for it to fully take root. We try to always offer our customers some additional value, e.g. the most detailed information about products, discount, free delivery for loyal customers, multilingualism, etc. Customer mistrust is still a key issue, so ensuring secure payment is paramount.

What strategy do you use to be recognized in the market as an e-commerce success story?

From the very beginning, we have been recognized as a top quality service, a modern online platform and the most secure online payment guaranteed by our partners. At the beginning, we set goals and standards, which we adhere to unconditionally. Innovation, offer and additional values ​​set us apart; Pick up station, Call center, the widest assortment. Product and service quality is imperative. Voli quality is easily recognized in the frame of the online shop VOLI.me.

Delivery time is very important for the customer. How do you provide logistics for order delivery? Do you have contracts with the post office, transport or courier service, or have you developed your own delivery unit?

Voli has developed its own logistics and vehicle fleet intended only for online shop delivery needs. The e-commerce office is a team of several associates, an administrator who receives and delegates orders, a commission agent who is key in the process that separates, sorts and packs items and drivers who further distribute.