The online retailer eBag will invest 5 million euros in the automation of the company's warehouse base, with financing secured through a bank loan. The investment is related to the purchase of an assembly line and a robot, including software with embedded artificial intelligence, which will help employees (pickers) in the warehouse in the preparation and packaging of the products. In 2024, the fleet will be renewed. The plans are that this year 10% of the company's cars will be electric, for this purpose the company is building the necessary infrastructure and its own charging stations. eBag's customers are already over 110,000 households that traditionally order food and household products through the online platform. The company accepts applications for Sofia, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad and Bansko. Delivery takes up to 3 hours, and for Sofia, orders over BGN 100 are free. For 2023, eBag registered over 20% growth in orders and 42% new customers. The average order size is also growing. The result of this is a 34% increase in turnover, which exceeds BGN 80 million. eBag was founded in 2015 and for several years partnered with the "Fantastico" chain, but since 2018 it has separated and works independently. The company opened its own logistics base, which was subsequently expanded. According to the data of the online retailer eBag, it has a 70% market share in the online trade of fast moving goods. As of November 2023, the number of employees is about 250. The founder, Ivan Alexandrov, is the majority owner. The Czech Rohlik Group, the investment funds Eleven and MFG Invest, the risk investment company HR Capital, as well as Miglena Popova-Vasileva and Ivaylo Karamanolev have minority shares in Convenience - the company that manages eBag. At the end of October 2023, "Convenience" attracted new capital - BGN 539 thousand - from two investors: Milen Stoichkov, commercial director at eBAG, and "PK Capital" - an investment company from Varna, owned by serial IT entrepreneur Presiyan Karakostov. The valuation of the online food retailer in this transaction reaches BGN 84 million. ?
Source: Capital (25.01.2024)

The revenues of eBag.bg grow in double digits every year - in 2023 by 36% to 68 million. BGN - result of growing prices, customers, orders, quantities. The company behind the online retailer - "Convenience" has a profit of 2.6 million. BGN and there were 237 employed last year. Founder Ivan Alexandrov expects sales to jump to 115 million in 2024. BGN - by September the growth is 40%. The first online deliveries from eBag began in May 2015. The online store uses the stores of the key partner - the "Fantastico" retail chain. The result of the cooperation between the two companies is the portfolio of eBag.bg with over 10 thousand fast moving goods, reflecting the assortment of "Fantastico". Later, the online store added more than 600 pharmacy products - non-prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, medical cosmetics, homeopathy. From four in 2015. eBag employment grows to 15 in 2016 and over 30 - in 2017, and in 2018 they exceed 50. For the first six months, the revenues are about 700 thousand. BGN, next year they will reach 1.8 million. BGN, then grow to BGN 3 million. BGN In 2018, Aleksandrov also parted ways with the minority owners of Convenience - Nova Broadcasting Group and its affiliate Net Info, buying out their shares. He rents a warehouse in the metropolitan district "Modern Suburb". In 2020 the company is making a major investment to increase the capacity of the fulfillment center. And after a month comes the pandemic, when eBag orders "surge to the skies". After leasing 3,000 square meters of warehouse space in 2018. an extension to 5,500 square meters follows. The company also rents another 3 acres for parking. "We work with fewer people because we manage the business well. This allows us to give better wages and offer products at better prices," says Alexandrov. Today, the daily sales of the online retailer are over 300,000. BGN, company cars - about 100, couriers - about 150, and product suppliers - over 350. The service is available for Sofia, Plovdiv, Bansko, Blagoevgrad, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Dupnitsa. Over the years, various investors - legal entities and individuals - became shareholders in Convenience. Founder Ivan Alexandrov is the majority owner. Minority shares are held by the Czech Rohlik Group, the investment funds Eleven and MFG Invest, the risk investment company HR Capital, as well as Miglena Popova-Vasileva and Ivaylo Karamanolev. At the end of October 2023, "Convenience" attracted new capital - 539 thousand. BGN - from two investors: Milen Stoichkov, commercial director at eBag, and "PK Capital" - an investment company from Varna, owned by the serial IT entrepreneur Presiyan Karakostov. The valuation of the online food retailer in this transaction reaches 84 million. BGN The total capital raised since the establishment of the company so far is 4.5 million. euro. Over the past 12 months, the company's focus has been on automation. This year, the online retailer will invest about 10 million. BGN in automation and robotization of the company center. The investments are related to the purchase of a smart assembly line and a robot, including software with embedded artificial intelligence, which helps employees (pickers) in the warehouse in the preparation and packaging of products. Development plans include opening a new automated order fulfillment center in Sofia, Varna or Plovdiv. Wherever it is - it will cover a rather serious perimeter of 100 - 200 km in the region.
Source: Capital (14.11.2024)