Estonia, Good for Business, Internet, Markets and Companies, Retail

Gerk Allert, CEO of Shopz.com, said that the online stores and mobile applications will be set up under accelerated procedure. It is possible to set up a functioning online store in 24 hours. At that, the solution will be comprehensive -- with delivery, storage and payments. The broader goal of Shopz.com is to preserve the business environment as much as possible and to enable Estonians to visit their favorite stores also in a year's time.

"The current situation is actually a great opportunity for e-stores. However, those who do not have an e-store may actually have to close their store door, because when the emergency situation ends, they may no longer have the means to continue business. And there are such entrepreneurs both in the countryside and in the city. The most important thing is that they do not give up too quickly," Allert said, adding that, by creating 100 e-stores, they are helping businesses to bring their business fully to the web.

According to Allert, various studies have shown that despite the crisis, Estonian entrepreneurs have not yet started using online stores quickly enough. For example, a recent SEB survey showed that although e-commerce volumes are constantly growing, only a quarter of small and medium-sized enterprises in Estonia use electronic sales channels.

"Often, however, those who have a functioning online store do not know how to bring customers there. In order for a business to thrive on the web, it is necessary to constantly do search engine optimization (SEO), digital marketing and use other solutions. We also offer support to entrepreneurs in this area," Allert said.

By joining Shopz.com, the entrepreneur also gets the well-known economic software Erply, created by Estonians, which allows all orders to be managed from one place.