dotCommerce by MerchantPro: E-commerce Industry Leaders Share Perspectives in Front of Nearly 500 Guests

MerchantPro, a SaaS solutions platform for e-commerce, hosted the second edition of the dotCommerce Digital Retail Forum, already a benchmark event for the e-commerce industry, on June 11. dotCommerce brought together online commerce experts, opinion leaders and professionals to discuss the latest trends and successful strategies in this dynamic field. Digital Retail Forum 2024 took place at Terra Events in Bucharest and attracted around 500 participants.

“The concept of this series of events is precisely to bring together, on the one hand, online stores interested in new business development strategies, and, on the other hand, solutions and companies that can facilitate merchants' paths to expansion. The high interest – around 500 participants – reflects the desire for networking and the need for efficient solutions for optimized expansion of online business. From year to year, we see a clear trend towards diversifying marketing channels and optimizing strategies, which underlines the importance of these events for the healthy growth of the e-commerce sector,” he said. Arthur Radulescu, Founder and CEO of MerchantPro.

8 interactive sessions, 30 speakers, approximately 500 participants

The event was divided into several discussion panels covering topics ranging from marketing and automation to business financing and new trends in e-commerce, and provided attendees with networking opportunities and inspiration from the experiences of industry leaders.

As in previous years, throughout the event, participants had the opportunity to interact with representatives of online stores and other reputed online businesses, while invited speakers discussed the solutions required for optimal scaling of online businesses.

In the first panel, “Getting the Basics Right – Foundations for Scaling”, Robert Trandafir (Gun Media) highlighted the importance of budget allocation in online commerce. Google campaigns, especially Shopping campaigns, continue to receive the largest budget allocation and generate the most conversions. Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram) remain in second place, but TikTok is starting to gain greater relevance and is seeing budget increases due to direct conversions in commerce.

Elena Gheorghe (PayU GPO Romania) highlighted the impact the pandemic has had on online commerce, accelerating the adoption of online shopping. Although the exponential growth has not maintained the same level, the upward trend continues, driven by the food delivery sector. In Romanian e-commerce, card payments account for 35% of all transactions, and there is growing interest in alternative payment methods such as BNPL (buy now, pay later).

Oana Antohe (eMAG Marketplace) discussed marketplace trends for 2024, focusing on the expansion of sellers outside borders through marketplace platforms. Cross-border sales have recorded significant increases of 60% in Hungary and 35% in Bulgaria, with eMAG facilitating product delivery to lockers at no extra cost to sellers.

Bogdan Iftemie (PayPO) reiterated the importance of BNPL solutions that can reduce cart abandonment and increase the average shopping cart value, while Adriana Manu (Fan Courier) noted that locker delivery is a key differentiator in the courier market, offering flexibility and reducing delivery costs.

The event continued with a discussion on branding and loyalty strategies, with key messages conveyed:

– Raluca Radu (MTH Digital): “The e-commerce client of 2024 is more savvy and has high expectations for the features and experience their online store provides.”

– Alina Mitrica (Marketer): “Customers expect loyalty options. Loyalty methods are essential and must be available both online and offline.”

– Dan Stanica (tbi bank): “Customers remain nervous and are considering their purchasing decisions more carefully. Alternative payment methods such as 'buy now, pay later' are becoming increasingly popular.”

– Paul-Ioan Kasparovichi (GRF+): “The importance of cultural relevance is becoming the new reputation for online stores.”

Julian Stanciu (eMag): “Romania has six to eight years of opportunity to develop very well.”

In the next panel, “Vision, Strategy and Focus,” Iulian Stanciu, Executive President of eMAG, spoke about Romania's bright prospects, highlighting the importance of the PNRR Fund, solid resources in energy, agriculture and human capital. He also mentioned the need for digitalization and improving digital skills, as well as the challenges of global competition with Asian players. He has a positive view on Romania's economic development, including e-commerce.

“Romania is the economic and technological centre of the region. It has much stronger niche tech companies than its neighbours and can develop to become more competitive overall,” he said. Julian Stanciu dotCommerce Stage, Dialogue Arthur Radulescu.

The event continued with the panel “The Loyalty Equation – Email Marketing and Automation in 2024”, where experts discussed the importance of personalization in email marketing and automation. Rareș Bănescu (theMarketer) highlighted that personalized recommendations significantly increase the chances of landing on the primary tab in Gmail by over 72%.

In the “Future of e-commerce – AI, automation and new trends” panel, Arthur Rădulescu (MerchantPro) discussed efficient AI solutions, especially for personalization and content generation, and also emphasized the importance of automating repetitive tasks and quantifying long-term results. Ana Ionașcu (Microsoft) spoke about SMEs' openness and agility towards AI, noting that users expect to communicate with e-commerce sites in natural language. Liviu Sima (ITG Group) discussed the use of AI to analyze market trends. He explained that AI enables in-depth data analysis to draw appropriate conclusions and optimize goods management in warehouses.

Horia Grozea (Netopia) also highlighted the important role of AI in securing online transactions and preventing fraud. Sebastian Irimia (Dyver) discussed the use of AI in e-commerce and highlighted the importance of automating the document creation and product listing process. This technology significantly reduces time to market and increases customer retention.

Under the theme “What we can learn from Google, Netflix, Amazon and Facebook”, Vlad Marincaș (Aqurate) discussed the importance of personalization in e-commerce, taking cues from tech giants such as Google and Amazon, and how personalization models can improve user experience and increase conversion rates.

The discussion then moved into the area of ​​business financing strategies. Oana Stoenescu (Libra Development IFN) discussed the evolution of financing in e-commerce, highlighting financiers' adaptation to market needs. Alin Stanciu (Catalyst) highlighted the importance of social capital and profitability strategies in business financing. Mihaela Toader (MTC Network) highlighted the need for good cash flow and inventory management to ensure long-term sustainability, while Ciprian Ghioc (TSG) spoke about European financing opportunities and the importance of digitalization in financing projects.

“Beyond Cookies – The New Dimension of the Internet” featured Eugen Potlog (Deep Dive) who discussed the impact of implementing Google Consent Mode and alternatives to third-party cookies, Mihai Vînătoru (DWF) who highlighted the importance of adapting to new regulations to keep ads relevant, Cătălin Emilian (RTB House) who explained that third-party cookies are used for ad retargeting and that more than 75% of users using Google Chrome in Romania will eventually have no third-party cookies, and Bianca Costache (Adobe Romania) who presented Adobe Experience Cloud solutions to personalize user experiences and build lasting relationships.

dotCommerce Digital Forum 2024 concluded with a panel dedicated to successful e-commerce founders and their path to expansion.

Raluca Haulică (Alura) shared Alura's experience in increasing profitability and expanding into international markets, and spoke about the impact showrooms have had on the brand and omnichannel sales. Loredana Goarnă (Napofarm) explained the sustainable growth of her business with the help of MerchantPro and the importance of automation to reduce operational costs. Ioan Dumitru (VagAuto) spoke about the focus on customer consulting and using AI to improve customer experience, while Nicolae Slav (dEpurtat) highlighted her successful expansion into multiple countries and the importance of the team in business development.

“The event was a success and we are pleased to have shared our valuable knowledge on the use of AI and automation in e-commerce. We had the opportunity to discuss future trends as well as current innovations in this field. We will continue to host such events in the future, bringing together industry experts to explore technological solutions that will transform their businesses and foster the exchange of ideas and best practices. The positive feedback we received motivates us to work even more actively in promoting digital development and innovation in e-commerce,” he added. Arthur Radulescu.

dotCommerce Digital Forum was supported by main partner TheMarketer as well as PayPo, Aqurate, tbi bank, Gun Media, MTH Digital, Mokka, Dr. SEO, leanpay, Planograma by IT Genetics, FAN Courier, AltExpress, Rossistem, EasySales and Netopia Payments.

Media partners of the event: Wall-Street.ro, Retail.ro, Start-up.ro, Spotmedia.ro, Digital-Business.ro.

About MerchantPro

MerchantPro is a project of ShopMania Net, catering to Romanian and European e-commerce entrepreneurs through competitive e-commerce functionalities, professional support services and customized solutions for specific development needs.

The MerchantPro platform is used regionally and has over 15 years of market experience: in the last two years, MerchantPro has strengthened its presence in the national and international markets, with around 2,000 active stores in Romania, and the number is also continuously growing in Western and South-Eastern Europe.

__

*This is a press release.