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The First 365 Days of the Albanian E-Commerce Association

The Albanian e-Commerce Association (AECA) was started only a year ago, and it has already gathered over 50 members and organized a number of activities.

E-Commerce is becoming more relevant in the entire Balkan region, including Albania. So, while AECA celebrates its first year in business, we look back at all its accomplishments.

Albanian e-Commerce Association (AECA) is a specialized organization focused on the online sales niche, aiming to improve the overall e-commerce environment in Albania and boost the performance of its members. AECA’s first milestone is to increase the overall percentage of online sales to 20% of all retail sales in the country.

Established in February 2022, AECA started providing value immediately with activities and benefits for its members, quickly attracting a large number of Albanian companies. Currently, the organization includes over 50 members.

AECA’s diverse and exciting activities range from education to policy lobbying and consultancy. The list is constantly expanding, in response to members’ needs but here are a few recent examples:

  • Regular member meetings;
  • Workshops with different experts, including Swiss EP experts Ethan Myers, Paulina Tenner, and Stoyan Yankov;
  • Masterclasses;
  • Consultancy services;
  • Offering access to various publications valuable to local e-commerce businesses;
  • Lobbying the Government to improve and create legislation and conditions for e-commerce businesses to prosper.

Some of the most well-attended and valued events from 2022 were AECA’s online masterclasses, where more experienced group members provided peer support. Highly valued by the Association members, this is something that the AECA team will explore further and organize more often, as this is a way to generate income and build a community.

Despite being a new player in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Albania, AECA has already proven—in the span of a year—its relevance and its ability to impact the Albanian e-commerce scene.

Knowing the man behind the initiative, his previous work, and his strong motivation to improve Albanian society, we expected nothing less. AECA is Valer Pinderi’s latest project, after founding Aladini (and a dozen other smaller e-commerce outlets in Albania), instigating the Albanian Founders Club, and also participating in Swiss EP’s Peer Exchange Meetup 2022 in Zurich.

Valer explains his motivation to keep the community moving forward::

It's about surviving. Today, competitiveness has become more brutal, and we must find different solutions to survive and progress in our businesses. If the solution initially was just doing things, now it's doing better things. So I want to help people do things better.

With a desire to support his peers and empower them to be more ambitious, Valer got intensely engaged in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and communities in Albania, giving back with his time, knowledge, and by pushing for changes in e-commerce regulations.

AECA’s mission is to make a permanent impact, provide value, and improve the business environment in Albania. With 50 members joining in after only 365 days, things are looking up for Albanian e-commerce.

We're looking forward to seeing what’s next.