Costas Gerardos, CEO of Plaisio Computers, talks about the unprecedented challenges το Greek trade brought about by the pandemic, in his exclusive interview with Business Daily.
As he explains, Plaisio responded with flexibility to changing conditions, having already laid the foundations for the development of e-sales with investments in recent years.
"In three days we managed to change the entire modus operandi of the company", he says.
Gerardos gives his own answers about how the definition of the concept "store" changed in the new conditions with the impressive development of e-commerce, while he says he is optimistic about the post-Covid economy.
The pandemic caused major changes in consumer habits and in the way businesses operate. At Plaisio, how are you meeting these challenges?
At Plaisio, we faced all the new challenges with the flexibility that characterizes our team. An important factor of success is our readiness - we had the foresight to have invested for many years in infrastructure, logistics and e-commerce. With this as a basis but also in combination with the determination and flexibility we showed, in three days we managed to change the entire modus operandi of the company. Thus, we were able to deal with this situation with an "attack" in marketing and commercial activities and at the same time, we fine tune things when needed.
Given the sales split on our channels, which changed during the pandemic, we are reviewing "what does a store mean". A store can not only function as a beautiful product exhibition area, but should also provide a unique experience to the consumer - it must provide convenience and experience in terms of speed, service and how well the visitor will enjoy the store experience.
How do you see the next day for the economy after the gradual overcoming of the health crisis?
We are optimistic and have growth signs, such as the investments that are coming. The road is certainly not easy, there will be many challenges, but we remain optimistic that at the end of the day we will come up with something very good.
How has your investment in white goods evolved? Are you satisfied?
Our investment has grown beyond expectations. From the result it showed that it was a successful strategic move of Plaisio. In particular, home appliance sales are growing steadily. The important thing here is the fact that people trust the Plaisio brand, have connected us with reliability and buy the device they want from us due to our modernity and know-how, knowing that three years ago we didn’t have this product category in our range nor do we offer anything much better in terms of pricing than the rest of the market.
Do you intend to increase your revenue from other services offered through your network?
Our goal is to make the lives of people who trust Plaisio's services easier. As well as turning a seemingly simple purchase of a product into an unbeatable shopping experience. We provide services such as the in-house call center that operates 12 hours a day, which was created to offer the consumer peace of mind. That's why every day we try to create ways and services that achieve just that. No stress for transport, installation, maintenance of products. And we are constantly looking for ways to evolve. In our plans, is the expansion of these services, but also the creation of new ways that will maximize the experience of product selection by the customer.
What are your plans for the further development of the company? How do you see its evolution over a 5-year horizon?
We do not make long-term plans, as the market is currently being re-established. We are constantly redefining, therefore, the Plaisio’s strategic based on the needs of society, while taking into account the impact of each crisis. Where we see development opportunities, such as the logistics sector, we invest further. We are hands on in our work and we quickly understand the changes in technology and consumer attitudes. Therefore, we can know at any time what the consumer prefers and how to offer it. In terms of acquisitions, Plaisio remains open to any form of healthy growth.
MARIA NIKOLTSIOU
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