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~ Expandeco ~

Tomas is an e-commerce expert on expansion who is constantly in a positive mood, and
who knows no boundaries. Thanks to his extensive international experience, he brings
entrepreneurs effective optimisation of costs for reverse logistics, thorough market analysis,
quality localisation and professional customer support. More than six years ago, he founded
Expandeco, which during its operation, has built a brand of experts in expanding online

businesses abroad and accompanying companies in their enforcement across 16 European
markets, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, it has 150 active clients,
employs 60 people in six branches in five countries and this year, they expect to achieve a
turnover of EUR 1.5 million.

o you remember the very first online shop fashion brand About You, which manages to use know-
that you helped break into the foreign how from Western Europe. Thus, it significantly expands its
Dmarket? operations across individual countries of Central and Eastern
Historically, the first client was Mr Sedlák from the Czech Europe through a visible brand awareness campaign. In a
fashion online shop, who planned to expand to Hungary. I relatively short time, it gained a stable place on the market,
helped him to ensure complete localisation, customer support with marketing costs being lower in tens of per cent. This is
and reverse logistics. Since then, his business has found a also proof that CEE consumers like novelties and welcome
stable place on the market and has expanded to Romania. major Western European brands. These are a symbol of
Over time, he even decided to use our services directly in his reliability, quality products and convenient online services for
domestic market, precisely because of an increase in overall them.
efficiency.

How has the e-commerce environment changed over that
period? Is it easier to assert yourself now than it was a few
years ago?
Competition across all sectors and markets is steadily
increasing, thus increasing the demands for success. However,
our region of Central and Eastern Europe is significantly
more dynamic compared to Western Europe, which, on the
one hand, creates a lot of room for new business opportunities
and, at the same time, makes it easier for customers to accept
changes.

I feel one of the most significant changes in online business
is when I look at the “economy of scale”, i.e. in the relatively
high fixed costs of online shops. One way to make the whole
process more efficient, including packaging and marketing, Is the CEE market anything specific compared to Western
is to expand the product portfolio. Another way is to come European markets? What other potential does it have?
up with your own unique product with a good margin, or The main problem of the CEE region is its fragmentation.
directly expand your business to other countries. Moreover, It consists of several smaller markets, each of which follows
online shops are currently under pressure to consolidate and its own rules and has its own cultural specificities. It can
gradually strengthen the positions of marketplaces, which are therefore be quite difficult for large companies seeking to assert
provided by the strongest players across international markets. themselves in CEE countries to understand all the differences.
Above all, this European region requires a special strategy and
How do you perceive the attitude of Western companies a thoroughly localised online shop. Nevertheless, individual
towards the CEE region? What myths predominantly countries still offer enormous potential. This is reflected in 10
accompany it and why? to 30% market growth, good technological background, and
When expanding their business to other markets, companies most countries already have extensive and high-quality internet
naturally and logically look at the purchasability of the coverage.
population in individual regions. For this reason, they mainly
choose countries such as the United Kingdom or Germany. The advantages of Central and Eastern European markets
include, of course, a well-developed infrastructure, a high rate
An interesting example from recent times is the German of return on investment, and a continually increasing share

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