With the recent birth of Zlio Germany, we’d like to take the time to introduce you to our newest Country Manager: Alexander Koësters.
Good Morning Alexander! Could you start off by telling our American Zlionauts a little bit more about yourself?
Of course! My name is Alexander Koësters, I am 35 years old, and I live outside of Münster, in Westphalie. Since the beginning of my professional career in 1999, I have concentrated entirely on E-Commerce. In fact, I have just as much of a life online as off.
What would you say is the current potential for a shop owner in the German E-Commerce market?
Well, the German E-Commerce market has already attained the highest growth rate of any European country besides the United Kingdom. To compare with France [Zlio's home country] there is about twice as much potential in terms of actual numbers – German blogger may not be as active as French bloggers, but the Web 2.0 trend and concepts like Zlio have shown a large increase in popularity in Germany. I am confident that our Zlionauts are opening their shops at the right time in the right place.
Which are the most popular E-Commerce products in Germany?
The highest demand for internet shopping and E-Commerce would definitely be all different types of media – CD, DVD, ebooks, downloads. Fashion and accessories are also very popular.
But personally, I don’t feel that we have to limit ourselves specifically to the areas that are already showing great numbers. It’s a better idea to choose products that you know you can promote and sell, and would personally be capable of ordering.
Can foreign users open a shop with Zlio Germany?
Absolutely. Our system is designed so that by opening one account, you can access and manage Zlioshops in all of the available countries.
What do we need to know if we’re interested in opening a German Zlioshop?
Actually, not much more than if you were opening a Zlioshop in any other country.When you sign up, you automatically agree to our terms and conditions, so if you have any doubts it might be a good idea to read about brand and author rights in Germany.
Another important point for you to keep in mind is language. As you could well imagine, Zlio Germany is entirely in German, so you’ll need to be able to create, update, and manage your shop in our mother tongue.