Ukrainian doormats gaining European customers with EU4Digital and ITC support

Does your doormat spark joy? Ukrainian company PJSC Dubno Plant of Rubber and Technical Goods (RTG) is one of the largest manufacturers of certified rubber products in Europe. Its sub-brand Artimat sells colourful and custom mats that have become increasingly popular in European marketplaces. The services of the EU4Digital eCommerce consultations centre, provided as part of a collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), have been a significant factor in Artimat reaching and resonating with a wider customer base.

Valeria Kharenko, Export Sales Manager of PJSC Dubno Plant of RTG represented Artimat in the eCommerce consultations centre activities. She credits the EU4Digital support with increasing the company’s understanding of European digital marketplaces and how the platforms work, reducing the time needed to start selling efficiently. 

For other companies looking for support of this type we would definitely recommend participating in the eCommerce consultations centre programme. It will save you a lot of time and effort!

Valeria Kharenko, Export Sales Manager, PJSC Dubno Plant of RTG, Ukraine 

Getting started

PJSC Dubno Plant of RTG currently employs around 220 workers. It is based in Dubno, in Rivne province of western Ukraine, and has been operating since 1969. Starting with simple rubber mats, the product line now includes colourful and honeycomb doormats, car mats, floor coverings and rubber tubes used for hot water, oxygen, diesel and other fuels in industrial production and in vehicle refuelling stations. The company also produces traffic calming devices such as wheel bumpers and speed bumps.

In 2020, Maksym Voroshko, Head of Sales with PJSC Dubno Plant of RTG, introduced the Artimat sub-brand. This sells colourful doormats and expanded the product line with kitchen- and bathmats. Avoiding traditional dark, basic mats and adding eye-catching and custom designs has made them much more appealing. The aim is to show people that even a doormat doesn’t have to be boring but can bring joy as the first thing you see when entering your home. And by offering customisation, the mats can include inscriptions such as ‘welcome’, ‘home‘ or unique texts in local languages, making the products more appealing in different countries. 

With the beginning of war, the company experienced a massive drop in demand in Ukraine. Yet it didn’t stop its production plant for a single day. Instead, it focused on getting contracts from EU companies and started selling to the Finnish do-it-yourself (DIY) chain K-RAUTA. The company has significantly developed in the business-to-consumer market: it is now offering products on the biggest Ukrainian marketplaces and, thanks to this and exports, is back to pre-war sales levels. 

Why enter eCommerce?

Before attending EU4Digital eCommerce consultations centre training,  PJSC Dubno Plant of RTG operated only in the biggest Ukrainian marketplaces, including Rozetka and Prom.UA. Although it was exporting to EU countries, the company still felt the need for direct communication with customers abroad.

eCommerce allows companies to diversify their customers and their geographical location, to have direct communication with customers and receive their feedback, which is invaluable for improving products and operations. eCommerce also brings higher margins on sales, especially in EU markets. 

Artimat started eCommerce operations on Allegro and wanted to open shops on Amazon, Etsy and eBay. But it had no experience with selling there, Valeria says. “We didn’t know where to start, what country we should aim for first, how to pick this country, what are the common pitfalls, etc.”

The eCommerce consultations experience

Valeria attended several sessions with the EU4Digital eCommerce consultations centre: almost 8 hours of lectures alongside other companies from Ukraine as well as Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, plus three individual consultations with trainers.

According to Valeria, the most valuable pieces of information for her company that she learned with the eCommerce consultations centre were:

• Which country would be best to start selling in first and how to choose it;
• How to effectively communicate with customers throughout the sales lifecycle;
• How to avoid getting your account blocked and what to do if it happens;
• How to adapt your shop to each country and why this is important;
• How to manage product listings;
• What are the specifics of each platform; 
• What are the EU market requirements.

“I would say the most valuable aspect of these courses is well structured information,” Valeria reflects. The kind of information that a company may need and is relevant to its business is usually scattered across the internet, making it hard to find. “The eCommerce consultations trainers left us with their presentations, so we can always come back to it when needed.” 

“If I didn’t attend this course, I wouldn’t know how to create a strategy for entering EU markets,” Valeria says. “Now I understand that the best country for Artimat to start in is Germany, with Amazon and Etsy.” 

For any other companies that intend to use the eCommerce consultations services, Valeria has the following advice:

• Take as many notes as you can. You will need to review the material eventually and finding the same information online will be complicated and take more time.
• Take individual consultations! The trainers will work with you to help you better understand the material and, most importantly, help you develop your strategy. 
• Register your shop on the marketplace while you’re doing the course and don’t leave it for later. This way you can receive immediate assistance from expert trainers if questions arise.  

Future prospects of Artimat

Valeria suspects that without the EU4Digital support Artimat received, the brand’s entry into and registration on EU marketplaces would likely have been slower and more chaotic.

Artimat now aims to work with more EU DIY store chains, to make up to 5% of its revenue from foreign eCommerce platforms, and to continue developing in this sphere.

A new opportunity – apply!

Artimat was one of five Ukrainian companies that participated in the EU4Digital eCommerce consultations centre programme as a result of ITC financing, supported by the Japanese government.

• Read more about this collaboration, announced in April 2023.

This cooperation is now being extended so that an additional 11 Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can access a new cycle of eCommerce consultations centre activities. 

If your company is eligible and wants to take advantage of this special opportunity, please apply! The deadline for applications is 31 July 2023 at 16:00 CEST (Brussels time).

Further information 

Find out more about the EU4Digital eCommerce consultations centre and the eTrade activities.