In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to bring you a fascinating conversation with Ivan Sidla, CEO of TheShop.global, who has helped businesses expand and thrive in over 20 countries. Whether you’re a seasoned online entrepreneur or just starting your journey, this discussion is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. In the interview, you will learn: 00:35 Ivan, before we start, please introduce yourself and your company to our viewers and listeners and tell us what's your background and how did you end up in the e-commerce segment? 01:31 Ivan, before we dive into e-commerce platforms, let's start with a strategic high-level discussion about the evolution of e-commerce business in the CEE region. What do you see as the key long-term changes in the market in the last 3-5 years? 02:50 We're located in Slovakia and very close to Czechia, where marketplaces like Kaufland, Allegro, Temu, Trendyol and others started to operate in the last 2 years. Do you see it as a thread or rather an opportunity for local e-commerce players? 04:29 What kind of e-commerce business do you think are able to handle this new situation and which will be in trouble from your point of view? 06:04 You help to expand and scale-up e-commerce companies to more than 20 countries, do you see some significant differences between the regions? 07:38 If you were to expand your e-commerce business right now, how would you describe the optimal process to pick the right countries to expand to? 13:35 Let's talk about e-commerce platforms - if you were to launch an e-commerce business in 2024, what kind of solutions would you consider and why? 17:16 How would you describe Headless architecture to a non-tech person? 18:50 What is your approach in TheShop and what kind of business do you target? 22:58 So can I get a fully operational e-shop from you or do I need to combine different components, tools or even companies? 26:37 Where do you see the biggest opportunities for e-commerce companies in Europe in the next couple years? 28:46 There is a boom of AI usage also within the e-commerce industry. Where do you see the easiest ways to implement it with the biggest impact? 33:07 To wrap up everything mentioned, let's give 3 concrete recommendations to SMB e-commerce businesses, how to increase their turnover and profitability in the next 12 months? To find out more about headless e-commerce and personalisation, please go to: https://www.theshop.global/ My e-commerce podcast is supported by these valued partners: Expandeco Packeta Blueweb Corlonez Follow me on social media: LinkedIn Instagram TikTok