When PayPal was born in 1998 , the online world was quite different. There was no social media, no YouTube, and online shopping was much more limited than it is today. Nevertheless, the innovative online payments platform won the bet.
The numbers are impressive: around 11.5 million payments are now made through PayPal on a daily basis. The platform is available in 203 markets, allowing its users to transact in dozens of different currencies.
HuffPost Greece met with PayPal ’s Head of Business Development for Central and Eastern Europe, Gana Yevtushenko, at the Magento & PayPal Meet-up event. In the interview, she talks about the company’s next moves in our country, while it is interesting to note that, as she herself points out, Greece is one of the fastest growing markets in Europe when it comes to online shopping.
What exactly is PayPal? Because someone who is not familiar with the internet may not know
Simply put, PayPal is an online payment platform. Through which anyone can buy, for example, travel tickets or gadgets. PayPal's successful idea is mainly based on 3 things: that transactions can be made quickly, easily and securely. This is how we have managed to expand to many countries around the world and many people trust our online platform for their online purchases.
How many businesses work with PayPal here in Greece?
There are thousands of businesses. Large or small. We work with, for example, MediaMarkt, Wind and TravelPlanet24.
When you are a travel site, with customers from many countries, then it is possible that not everyone trusts you with their transactions or their credit cards may not work. PayPal solves these problems, since transactions can be made regardless of country, and when a user sees on your site that they can pay in this specific way, this essentially serves as a "safety valve" and they immediately trust you.
Ghana Yevtushenko
What are your future plans regarding your activities in our country?
What we want in principle is to collaborate with as many successful Greek businesses as possible. We also want to help these businesses grow abroad. Because when we talk about an online business, in reality it is not only addressed to the Greek public, but also to people from many countries around the world.
At the same time, we want to collaborate with as many innovative businesses as possible that make people's lives easier. One such case is Taxibeat. Through which you can find a taxi very easily, without having to wait, as was the case in the past.
Our goal is also to collaborate with new startups, which are constantly "emerging" and have prospects for rapid growth.
What level do you think online shopping is at here in Greece?
According to the data we have at our disposal as PayPal, I must tell you that Greece is currently one of the fastest growing markets in Europe, in the e-shopping segment. Many small or larger electronic businesses are opening all the time. And the important thing is what I said before: that through the internet these businesses can reach customers from all over the world.
Has the economic crisis affected your operations in Greece?
The truth is that we have not been affected. Looking at our numbers, we see that we are doing very well, despite the crisis. One reason is probably that citizens are now looking for the best offers on the internet. That is, where we are also active. Personally, I am PayPal's Head of Business Development in Central and Eastern Europe and I can tell you that compared to other countries, Greece is a very friendly market.
What types of products do Greeks prefer to buy online, based on the data you have in your hands?
The most popular categories are electronics and clothing. In the first category, most Greeks are looking for good deals in countries like China and America. In the second category, most consumers in your country order products from Britain or Italy. Of course, there are other products that are in demand, such as books and jewelry. But definitely the most popular categories are electronics and clothing.
What are PayPal's goals for 2015 globally?
Our goal remains the same. We want everyone, anywhere in the world, to be able to make electronic transactions through PayPal. As far as I know, within this year the activities of eBay and PayPal will be separated, and they will become two autonomous listed companies. We also have a new CEO, for a few months now. However, I do not think that all this will affect our overall strategy, which remains stable, globally.
