Vis Vitalis is one of Bulgaria’s largest brands for baby and children’s products, boasting a local network of physical stores and an online shop serving the Bulgarian market. Recently, the company expanded its operations by launching online sales in Romania, partnering with euShipments.com for their cross-border logistics needs.
To learn more about this exciting evolution, we spoke with Petar Saravakov, one of the co-owners of Vis Vitalis, about the motivations and processes driving this business transformation.
Vis Vitalis is a company with over 30 years of history – briefly tell us about the business.
It all started in 1993 with a big dream – to offer parents everything they need for their children. In a short period, we gained the trust of our customers through professionalism, high quality, and affordable prices. Today, Vis Vitalis is a place where parents can find everything they need – from clothing and toys to care and safety products. Our mission is to make parents’ everyday tasks easier by providing quality and safe products.
You are also developing your own brand of children’s and baby products – what are the biggest challenges of being both a manufacturer and a retailer, and what are the positives?
The biggest challenge is balancing production and retail – from choosing quality materials to ensuring consistent availability in stores. As a manufacturer, we are fully responsible for the quality, which requires attention to detail and control at every stage. However, the positives are significant – we can create products that fully meet the needs of our customers and offer unique brands like Rainy, which stand out for their quality and style, produced locally.
When did you start selling online, and where do you generate more sales – in your physical stores or online?
We started selling online in 2017, but we were still largely focused on our physical stores. In 2020, due to the pandemic, we accelerated the digitalization of our brand. Even so, we still generate more sales in our physical locations, as many of our customers prefer in-store consultations from our team of specialists for certain products.
How do you think consumer demands are changing with the development of digitalization, and how is Vis Vitalis adapting to them?
With the development of digitalization, consumers are becoming more informed and demanding greater convenience – from easy access to products to fast delivery. We’ve noticed that more people are shopping online every year, and the growth in profits from online sales is greater than that in our physical stores. To meet these needs, we are investing in improving our online presence, optimizing our website for a more convenient user experience, and offering fast and secure delivery options. At the same time, we continue to maintain a high level of personalized service in our physical stores to stay close to our customers.
You recently started online sales in Romania – what are your impressions so far of this new step in the company’s business development?
We began selling in Romania in August 2024, and we see enormous potential in the Romanian market. Interest in our products is growing, and Romanian consumers appreciate the quality and variety we offer. Despite the challenges of a new market, such as adapting to different customer expectations and local competition, we are confident that we can establish a strong presence. We continue to invest in marketing and logistics to ensure excellent service and fast delivery, which is key to our success in the region.
euShipments takes care of transporting the shipments from Vis Vitalis’ warehouses in Bulgaria (the so-called first-mile collection) and injects them into the depots of our Romanian partners for last-mile delivery. As you know, we partner with the most preferred local courier companies in Romania, which is an important factor in the brand’s competitiveness compared to local Romanian online stores in the same product category.
Vis Vitalis customers can choose not only their preferred courier but also between delivery to a home/business address or an out-of-home (OOH) delivery to a convenient PUDO or locker location. This allows parents shopping for their children at Vis Vitalis to pick up their order at a time of their choosing – many of the lockers, in addition to being more eco-friendly, are also available 24/7 for recipients.
Additionally, for all Romanian customers, we offer the option of Cash-on-delivery for extra convenience and security – especially for those purchasing from our brand for the first time. This helps us build loyal customers and encourage repeat online orders.
What are the main factors in your choice of a cross-border logistics partner, and what do you appreciate most about the working model and solutions provided by euShipments.com?
We chose euShipments.com, realizing that successful international expansion requires a reliable logistics partner. They offer comprehensive fulfillment services, efficient order management, and excellent communication, which allows us to focus on growing the business while they ensure smooth customer service. We especially appreciate their flexibility and ability to adapt to the specific needs of our markets, as well as the professional support we can rely on 100%. Thanks to them, we were able to make a seamless transition to international sales.
euShipments.com also provides a Customer support solution for Vis Vitalis’ Romanian customers. Our Customer support team maintains an inbound phone line for inquiries and issues from users and confirms all online orders by phone – all in Romanian. This enhances communication and trust with consumers, eliminating the risk of incorrect order and delivery data, which in turn increases the success rate of our online sales.
With the integration with euShipments.com, you can sell online and deliver to over 27 countries in Europe – do you plan to open new markets in the near future?
Currently, we are focused on expanding our online presence in Romania, but in the near future, we plan to enter other EU Balkan countries, such as Greece and Croatia. The success of the Romanian market will be key for us, as it will demonstrate that we can successfully scale our business in different regions. The globalization of the market is inevitable, and we are preparing to take advantage of these opportunities as we continue to build trust and establish a presence in new markets.
Regarding integrations, Vis Vitalis benefits from the convenience of our long-established integration with CloudCart and PRIM, whose solutions the brand uses for its online store. The well-integrated infrastructure and overall synergy between us and our other partners enhance and improve the company’s business processes.
Are there any aspects of international online sales that worried you before, but no longer do thanks to the partnership with euShipments.com?
Yes, initially, we were concerned about managing orders and localizing the online store. We worried that we wouldn’t be competitive enough and that we might be seen as “outsiders” in new markets. Thanks to euShipments.com, these concerns are now behind us. They helped us not only with efficient order management but also with implementing local courier methods, which greatly simplified the process and made us more accessible and competitive for local customers.
Alongside Vis Vitalis, you are also developing another business – the SaaS platform for mobile applications, Redina. What is the idea behind this software solution, and what sets it apart in the market?
The idea behind Redina is to provide online merchants with an easy way to create a native mobile app without long development processes. Instead of waiting for months or even years and being dependent on development teams, we enable them to quickly launch a mobile app that fully meets their needs. This is especially useful for merchants who want to increase their brand recognition and offer a more convenient user experience for their customers. What sets Redina apart is that it combines speed and affordability with full flexibility, allowing for personalization and easy management.
How do you think Redina can help online merchants in the increasingly competitive global eCommerce environment?
Redina gives online merchants a competitive edge by allowing them to quickly and easily create their own eCommerce mobile app. In the dynamic and competitive market environment, having a mobile app can significantly enhance the user experience, increase customer engagement, and encourage repeat purchases. Mobile apps are much faster than traditional online stores and offer personalized experiences with direct customer access via push notifications. They allow merchants to offer specific products and promotions based on preferences and purchase history, which increases the likelihood of sales and strengthens long-term customer relationships.
What are your plans for the development of Redina, and what exciting features can we expect from the platform in the future?
Our plans include expanding the platform’s functionalities and adding new tools that will make it even easier for merchants to create and manage their mobile apps. In the near future, we plan to implement integrations with new payment systems and data analytics features, which will allow users to track the performance of their apps in real-time. Additionally, we are working on expanding the personalization capabilities to provide an even better customer experience.
The history of Vis Vitalis is an example of a successful and sustainable transformation from a traditional manufacturer and physical retailer to an international online business, thanks to the strategic partnership with euShipments.com. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Petar Saravakov for the interview and wish him and his team continued growth, stability, and adaptability in the dynamic world of online retail!
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