Nominis podcast – episode 092: How to develop a successful omnichannel pet shop
In Nominis episode 092, we talk about building an omnichannel pet shop with Marijan Sokačić, director and co-owner of Šape pet shop. Marijan shares how he and his partner Irena started with one physical store, launched a webshop, expanded to another location, and built a business that now combines retail, eCommerce, customer advice, automation, and plans for franchising.
In the new episode of Nominis podcast which we are producing in partnership with the Association of eCommerce Croatia, Marcel Majsan spoke with Marijan Sokačić, director and co-owner of Šape pet shop.
Šape started in 2013, when Marijan and Irena decided to take over a local pet shop that was about to close. The webshop Šape.hr followed in 2016, first as a way to increase visibility and later as a serious sales channel.
Their roles developed naturally. Irena focused on customers, products, and in-store experience, while Marijan worked on systems, analytics, digital channels, and business structure.
In 2022, Šape became their main business focus. Since then, they opened a second store in Zagreb, started planning further expansion, and continued developing the webshop as part of a wider omnichannel model.
Omnichannel works only when both channels keep the same promise to the customer. In the store, that promise comes through advice, personal contact, and trust. Online, it has to show up through accurate stock, clear product information, simple checkout, reliable delivery, and useful communication.
The episode also covers webshop redesign, email automation, customer reviews, stock synchronization, UX improvements, and the role of eCommerce Academy in helping Marijan structure the next phase of growth.
For Marijan, smaller specialized retailers can compete when they know their customers well, offer better advice, and keep improving both online and offline experience.
You can check the video recording of Nominis 092 on the official YouTube channel of eCommerce Croatia.