#016 - Zagreb, expanding Pilatus across Europe

Zagreb, step by step

This month we flew to Zagreb with a clear mission: to continue expanding Pilatus across Europe.
They were three intense days, but very well spent.

We flew on a Saturday so we could have the whole Sunday free and explore the city at a leisurely pace before the meeting on Monday.
We wanted to really understand the market, not just from a meeting room.
So we walked all over Zagreb: we visited all the interesting shops, analyzed competitors, talked to employees, and took note of every detail.
It's the only real way to understand a country before trying to sell in it.

Street, shops, conversations...

We spent Monday afternoon and all of Tuesday following that same routine: street, shopping, observation, and lots of conversation.
We also met with a potential distributor for Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.
A small region in volume, yes, but with a lot of potential.

At Pilatus we don't want to grow for the sake of growing.
We want to do it right.
And that means finding the right partners: distributors who work with fashion and accessories brands, but who also connect with our way of doing things.
They see the value of the brand and want to invest in the long term.

Listen to grow

Croatia struck us as a country in evolution: open, friendly, with an energy that reminds us of those places that are on the verge of taking off.
And being there, talking to agencies, distributors, and potential clients, confirmed what we already knew:
The only way to enter a country is to know it thoroughly.

And that starts, as always, by walking a lot and listening more.