Speed, reliability and local relevance are the pillars of sustainable growth in Central and Eastern Europe
CORPORATE INTERVIEW
Kristijan Popović
Regional GM for Wolt Market in the CEE Region
Kristijan Popović, Regional GM for Wolt Market in the CEE Region, shares insights on market trends, operational challenges and the company’s plans for further expansion.
You were recently appointed Regional Director of Wolt Market for Central and Eastern Europe. How do you see this opportunity, and what are your priorities in this new challenge?
It is a great honour and responsibility to take on the leadership of Wolt Market in the central region. I view this opportunity as a strong incentive to enhance everyday shopping by carefully listening to the needs of local communities and responding to the growing demand for fast and reliable delivery.
Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do – a rich assortment, constant availability, and delivery in under 30 minutes. We are focused on speed, reliability and personalisation, as we are, as I often say, “obsessed with delivering the best shopping experience.” Operational efficiency is equally important to us. We are working on optimising supply and internal processes to reduce shortages and stock waste. Our goal is to cut the number of out-of-stock items by 20% over the next six months, while speeding up order processing and packing. Together with our suppliers, we strive for an even higher level of operational excellence.
By the end of 2025, we plan to open at least 10 new Wolt Market locations in the region, including a launch in Romania. At the same time, we are strengthening cooperation with local suppliers to offer the perfect balance between globally popular products and local favourites. We are equally focused on people and organisational culture. We are building teams that share a common vision but have the freedom to adapt to local challenges, while standardising best practices and fully respecting the regulatory frameworks of each market to ensure consistent service quality.
I am confident that, through collaboration with our teams and partners, we will achieve sustainable growth and make Wolt Market recognised for speed, reliability and local relevance – to the satisfaction of our users and for the benefit of the communities in which we operate.
Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do
Your career in the FMCG industry spans many years. How would you describe the evolution of the FMCG sector throughout your professional journey, and what are the key moments that have shaped the industry today?
Three major shifts have marked the past decade in the FMCG sector. The first is the strong pressure on purchasing power and the decline in sales volumes, which led consumers to switch to cheaper brands, fueling the growth of private labels and discounters. For example, in 2023, food inflation in Europe reached 12.8%, while retail growth stood at 8.6%, indicating that value growth primarily resulted from price increases rather than higher purchase volumes.
The second major shift was the transition from a model focused on physical (offline) shopping to an omnichannel approach, where consumers use multiple sales channels simultaneously. The pandemic further accelerated this transition and, although the market has stabilised, online shopping continues to be a strong driver of growth.
The third major shift relates to the professionalisation of retail media. An increasing share of marketing budgets is being redirected towards advertising platforms that use first-party consumer data, as they enable transparent performance tracking and deliver high margins.
For FMCG manufacturers, 2023 and 2024 have been dominated by rising prices, with the focus shifting back to restoring volumes. At the same time, the sector is undergoing rapid digitalisation – from data-driven assortment management and dynamic pricing to last-mile delivery optimisation. The line between retail and technology is blurring, which naturally led me to the quick-commerce model of dark stores designed exclusively for online orders, such as Wolt Market.
Wolt Market is increasingly positioning itself as an everyday destination for fast and reliable shopping. How does your experience managing different markets contribute to its further development in the CEE region and to building a team that can drive its strategic growth?
Working across multiple markets has taught me that the same result is never achieved in the same way. In Belgrade, Prague, and Bratislava, we combined different network densities, store locations, pick-and-pack processes, and local assortments – yet the goal was always the same: speed, accuracy, and availability. This is the essence of the delivery-only model, which clearly sets Wolt Market apart from traditional retail.
Based on our experience, we have developed a model that successfully combines operational efficiency with local relevance, and we are now applying this approach across the region. We rely on a unified operational model and advanced technological infrastructure, introducing changes gradually – store by store, city by city – to maintain a high service standard and consistent quality.
We understand that each market has its own specifics. That’s why we never apply our playbook as a copy-paste solution. We localise our approach – from assortment and pricing strategy to regulatory compliance and adjustments to consumers’ purchasing power. We build strong relationships with local suppliers and closely monitor each country’s regulatory framework.
We never apply our playbook as a copy-paste solution
This combination of proven models and a deep understanding of the local context enables us to grow faster, remain relevant, and deliver the kind of shopping experience customers expect – simple, reliable, and close to home. This model has proven successful in Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and I believe the same principle can be effectively applied to other markets where Wolt Market operates.
Over the past three years, you have successfully integrated your knowledge and experience into Wolt Market’s operations. Can you explain how Wolt Market has developed and what makes it unique in the market?
Wolt Market was launched in 2020 in Helsinki as the first store designed exclusively for delivery, with a clear promise of delivery in around 30 minutes. Today, this concept operates in dozens of cities across the countries where Wolt is present. In our region, we are active in Belgrade, Zagreb, Prague, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Budapest, and Warsaw – everywhere with the same promise of speed and a clear focus on customer experience.
The strength of Wolt Market lies in complete control of the process – from order placement to inventory management and final delivery to the customer’s door. The stores are organised exclusively for delivery, which ensures maximum precision and efficiency.
Locality brings additional value: alongside thousands of essential items, we open the door to small producers – thousands of local products across the region already have visibility and distribution on our platform.
We have also established robust mechanisms that generate value for both customers and partners. With the introduction of the Wolt+ subscription, we enabled loyal users to benefit from free deliveries and discounts, thereby increasing their order frequency. So far, over €200 million has been saved, and these benefits have been further expanded through partnership programmes. In collaboration with Finnish fintech company Revolut, we have provided premium bank users in 17 European countries with a complimentary Wolt+ membership. Similarly, we have partnered with Deutsche Telekom, which now offers its customers up to 12 months of free Wolt+ membership in seven countries through its Magenta Moments loyalty programme.
We also developed the Wolt Ads platform, enabling merchants and brands to increase their visibility and sales within the Wolt app through sponsored placements. This solution is already active in over thirty markets, delivering measurable sales growth and a clear ROI.
A key part of Wolt Market’s identity is our responsibility towards the communities in which we operate. Instead of generic carbon offsets, we direct funds towards concrete reductions of environmental impact, co-financing electric bicycles and mopeds for courier partners through the Better Cities fund. At the local level, we continue to strengthen communities and partnerships. In 2024, we, together with our suppliers, presented joint plans and awarded the best among them, as it is precisely through shared growth that we can most quickly transform the customer experience for the better.
We never apply our playbook as a copy-paste solution
When you reflect on your professional journey and the challenges ahead, what inspires you most in your work and keeps you motivated in such a diverse market?
I am inspired by the fact that what we do has a direct impact on people’s everyday lives. When delivery works flawlessly and customers can complete their shopping in less time than they would spend in a store, we help them save precious time for family, work and other commitments. That time saving – and the feeling that we are making cities better places to live – gives our work special meaning.
I am also motivated by the fact that local partners grow with us – small manufacturers and family farms are reaching a wider customer base for the first time through Wolt Market, which demonstrates how technology can empower the local economy and provide visibility to those who previously lacked it. Another great source of strength lies in the team – a multicultural, dynamic, and growth-oriented one. At Wolt, we are building a platform that generates billions of euros in sales for local merchants across our markets, and this “flywheel” effect creates a strong sense of purpose and responsibility.
Looking at the wider industry, I believe in a return to healthy volume growth, with an ever-increasing role for data and deeper integration between the online and offline worlds. Wolt Market’s success is based on staying true to its core mission: to make everyday life easier for people while building a sustainable and adaptable business model. We have standardised what is universally important – speed, availability, simplicity – while respecting the specificities of each community in which we operate.
Looking ahead, we will continue to grow sustainably and responsibly, relying on local teams and partnerships – whether through strategic alliances with fintech and telecom companies that bring added value to users, or through cooperation with city initiatives aimed at promoting greener transportation. Everything we have achieved represents a solid foundation for further expansion – one that is responsible, built on trust, and driven by the passion of local teams who turn this vision into reality.