If the future belongs to those who prepare for it, then Plaisio Computers is one of those businesses. This is because it is one of the few companies that has managed to increase market share, turnover and profits in the pandemic, even though it doesn’t belong to the supermarket industry, nor the wider health industry.
When the pandemic took everyone by surprise 14 months ago and businesses started setting up online networks and creating sales channels without physical stores from scratch, Plaisio Computers already had such a network in place. It is no coincidence that even before the pandemic, 8 percent of its sales were online.
Thus, with digitally mature businesses being more resilient to the effects of Covid-19 and better positioned to move into the new era, Plaisio Computers has achieved significant growth with increased sales and profits within the pandemic.
One of the strong points of the chain was that it has its own distribution network at a time when in the field of e-commerce distribution was hindered by couriers being unable to executive increased business.
A change in consumer habits also played a catalytic role, which brought a spectacular boom for IT products and services. Plaisio has now become a kind of supermarket of gadgets and other useful items, which were at the top of demand in the pandemic.
Changes imposed by remote work and distance learning launched all technology products such as laptops, tablets, web cameras, headphones, Wi-Fi and network amplification products, printers, multifunction machines, inks, but also less traditional categories such as puzzles, tableware, food processors, coffee makers, steam cleaners, gifts, skates, etc.
Thus, the company Plaisio, despite closing its 24 physical stores for about 100 days in 2020, achieved sales of 355 million euros compared to 317 million euros in 2019, up by 11.8 percent, achieving the largest annual sales increase since 2007.
Profit before tax increased by 20 percent to 3.6 million euros, EBITDA was at the level of 13 million euros, while net profit after tax increased by 59.7 percent to 3.1 million euro.
In yesterday's presentation of annual results to analysts, Costas Gerardos, vice president and chief executive of Plaisio, said the company managed to strengthen its brand as it stuck to delivery times and served the needs of the customers.
George Gerardos, founder and president of the company pointed out that "with consumers now familiar with electronic transactions, the legacy of trust and confidence gained in conditions that were of great importance and an evergreen omni-channel business model, which is already 25 years old, Plaisio is "Future Ready". The strong results confirm the strategy of the management of Plaisio for investments in logistics - distribution - in ‐ house call center and not in the creation of new stores."
The company had planned to create significant logistics infrastructure worth 38 million euros, which in combination with the optimal number of stores and investments of 1.8 million euros in the new e-commerce platform and the in-house call center, making this success possible.
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