(This text is part of the IT.mk series that aim to promote local companies featured in the IT Index.)
PROFILE
1. The officials starting date:
January 22, 2011
2. Founders of the company?
Grouper was founded by three co-owners: Nina Angelovska, Martin Kitanovski and Aleksandar Simonovski.
3. The first product or service you offered and successfully sold
The very first deal that we managed to procure was: “80% discount for spa center services at TCC Plaza”; thanks to our nifty discount coupon, the full price of 1500 denars came down to 300 denars. The deal became live for the official Grouper launch on the city square, it ran for 24 hours, during which 100 coupons were sold. I feel we’ll never forget the adrenaline rush and the excitement that came with each crtl + R and another sold coupon :)
4. How many people were in your team initially?
At the very beginning, the team was consisting of just the three co-founders, but we had our fourth member three months from the official launch of Grouper.
5. How many are you now?
16 young, diligent and wonderful people are responsible for all the previous successes and achievements of Grouper.
6. What are the services and products in which you specialize?
Our “product” can be any Grouper deal that is offered in the form of a discount coupon, so that the customers can get the best price in the market. The deals are divided into three sections: services, products and trips, and then each of these sections has its own categories and subcategories.
7. What is the thing that makes you stand out from the crowd?
Our long-term perspective, knowledge and passion for influencing and changing the e-commerce market in Macedonia and its advancement in all aspects and for all market participants, something which we’ve been working on since 2011. For 7 years now, we have made e-commerce education possible for all participants (end users who made the first online transaction with Grouper, collaborators engaged in e-commerce with Grouper, institutions. To top it off, we have been mentoring and advising all the new players in the market, as well as analyzing and reporting on the state of e-commerce, etc.). As a result, we feel that e-commerce in this country is developing at a steady pace.
Furthermore, knowledge, proper mindset and hard work have made us a game changer and leader in the e-commerce market, something that’s evident with the numerous awards and honors we have received. Today, Grouper has over 150,000 shoppers and over 2000 associates. We have the best and most advanced mobile app (iOS and Android) on the market. We have been working on it since 2014. The app has been installed over 100,000 times and has over 50,000 active users.
We always strive to exceed the expectations of our partners and end-users. So, the task of our experienced sales team is much more than signing a promotion agreement. It involves a much deeper venture, with marketing tips on improving the company’s operations, keeping up with the current trends, etc. Our customer support team is guided by the same principle; we want to make every customer happy and to build a friendly relationship. We do that with fair and transparent politics, by implementing tactics that do not differentiate from the competition.
At the end of the day, everything we do can be copied by anyone. But what can’t be copied is the heart, the soul, and the mindfulness of the company. Our soul, the soul of the company is made of an excellent team, brimming with positive energy and willingness for work that requires perseverance, dedication, and professionalism, with unquenchable thirst for knowledge and continuous learning, tracking trends, innovating and much more.
8. Who are some of the clients you work with?
In the 7 years of existence we have cooperated with over 2000 associates. Since quality is above quantity, it’s important to mention that over 80% of associates have published several deals, which only goes to show that they are satisfied with the mutual cooperation. We work with various companies from various industries, both domestic and foreign. Grouper is an effective promotional tool for any business. Regardless of the type of company, whether it is a newly opened beauty salon, a restaurant with a long-standing tradition or an international brand, Grouper is a promotional tool that brings forth the desired results. For some, it’s to fully populate the establishment with customers, others would like to get rid of all their surplus supplies, while others would like to promote a new service / product, etc.
9. What would you change in the current Macedonian ICT scene, provided you had unlimited resources?
Education and Technology! With unlimited resources at our disposal, we’d shape Macedonia into a Smart Country by implementing new technologies in every part of life, solving administrative obstacles and bureaucracy and alleviating the life of everyone with well-organized, easy and all-encompassing procedures – whether that’d be health, education, or something else. This way, everyone would get the more of the most sought-after commodity – time! Of course, to do this, further education of the population is needed, on IT literacy as well as the new technologies. To make it a reality, we’d need laboratories so that everyone could feel the benefits that comes from proper education.
10. What’s in store for Grouper in 2022?
To be the biggest store in Macedonia, for everything that the 1 or, dare we say, 2 million users might desire :). Additionally, to offer B2B solutions for our associates and help them keep up to date with trends; to be able to conduct business in a more sophisticated way that will enable them to grow. Today, we are at a place that couldn’t be possible without passion, hard work and willingness to make a speedy adaptation to the changes and the immerging trends. We are also planning on implementing new technologies, such as AI in the newsletter, chatbots for customer support, etc. Sky is the limit, we might as well enable VR previews, so that users can preview the deals before buying them in virtual reality (check a hotel room, browse the product or massage salon, etc.) :)
11. Any fun fact about your company?
The idea for the billboards that drew a lot of attention for the campaign “Destination Macedonia”, which was in the spirit and style of “local elections”, came to us after the already approved designs were set in place. Since speed is our superpower, we managed to change the build boards in a matter of several days. We were beside ourselves! :)
Also, I’m not sure if you know that Black Friday is kind of our day of the year and we call it our patronage? :) The euphoria and the atmosphere in the office on that day is indescribable. It happens once a year and the memories of it are then fervently recounted on team building seminars and meetings :)
Official site:
https://grouper.mk/
Grouper social networks: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube