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BIMA: CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF GIFT PRODUCTS BY E-COMMERCE PIONEERS
BIMA.HR is an online store. one of the largest importers of dishes, toys and decorations and a manufacturer of original and unique gifts for all gift occasions in Croatia and Slovenia.
30 years later, Bima is stronger than ever, and continues to excel in unique product lines made with love. Today, Bima continues to stand out from the crowd thanks to its loyalty to unique and memorable product designs with a focus on ‘handmade’ lines.
To stay in business for 30 years takes some doing, but to do it while remaining true to your original business ethos and brand identity is simply remarkable.
That’s what Bima, one of the leading producers and distributors of gift-centric products in Croatia and Slovenia has achieved.
From their humble beginnings, bringing local artists together to create quirky, one-of-a-kind products, to the present day, operating with over 100 employees and 15 stores across Croatia, Bima is a shining example of how to succeed in the world of business without losing sight of the reason why you set it up in the first place. Bima is a truly family-run business that is considered a pioneer of ecommerce retail, with a store catalog containing over 2,500 items, here’s the inspiring story of Bima:
In the 1990s, a grandmother and mother team aimed to compete with the uprising of shopping centers, by creating goods made with love. It takes a lot of courage to compete in business, but courage is certainly what Bima's founders had. Shopping centers were opening up at a tremendous rate, and product choices were becoming saturated.
Armed with a lot of patience and the willpower to succeed, Križanec Blanka set up KB Art, operating from a small garage in Croatia. The mission was to create handicraft products that stood out from the crowd, collaborating with emerging local artists to produce unique and memorable designs.
Interest in the local start-up grows, and the first Bima store is opened
The small shop, originally set in a garage with products kept in a multifunctional yard, quickly evolved into a first store opening. Growing interest in the products and brand meant the backyard, which housed nylon covered pallets to protect products from the rain, became a fully functioning warehouse. Despite the growing interest, the goal for Bima was to continue to create unique and original items that you would not find anywhere else.
Product lines are expanded and further developed
The appeal of Bima products have always been their handcrafted, original look and feel. No product could have the Bima name aligned to it unless it followed this mantra. From cups and kids toys to aprons and glasses, the gifts sold from the shop were unlike any others you’d find in shopping centers or online. Their popularity continued to surge, and more stores began to open.
Bima provides added value to its customers by creating informative articles aligned to products
This development of product lines continues to this very day. For example, electric cars, tractors, motorcycles, scooters, rollerblades, and similar battery-powered vehicles have flooded markets in recent times, yet the classic pedal tractor, car, go-kart and the like are still incredibly popular choices. To help consumers weigh up the pros and cons of each, Bima regularly creates informative online articles, such as their ‘Advantages of pedal vehicles over battery vehicles’ piece, providing added value and knowledge beyond the typical retail experience.
If you’re potty training your child, Bima has plenty of useful products to help you achieve that goal. However, where Bima differs to other retailers is through the guidance and information they provide alongside purchase options. Their ‘teaching a child to potty train’ article is incredibly popular with new parents.
And to provide a further example of just how far their knowledge pieces stretch, Bima sells some of the nicest wine glasses you’ll find online. While you’re buying, why not read their ‘Everything about wine you didn’t know’ article, which covers everything from wine glasses and the tasting of wine to decanting, serving and storing.
30 years later, Bima is stronger than ever, and continues to excel in unique product lines made with love. Today, Bima continues to stand out from the crowd thanks to its loyalty to unique and memorable product designs with a focus on ‘handmade’ lines.
Even to this day, Bima produces or adapts most of its products from R&D to production. Bima currently supplies the largest Croatian retail chains with goods, and has stores throughout Croatia, alongside their ever-popular online store.