Diego Sülzer (39) is one of the faces of the new generations of executives that are consolidating in Bolivia. With his recent promotion to managing director at OrdenYa Bolivia, he has a clear horizon that emerging businesses and the operation of the international delivery giant must take: that of the opportunities and speed that fast trade or ‘quick commerce’ represents.
– OrdersYa has been in operation for almost four years in Bolivia. Can you say that it is a mature market or what evaluation do you make?
We entered the market at the right time. In 2018, the acquisition of Netcomidas by OrdensYa opened up a range of growth opportunities for startups and the Bolivian e-commerce ecosystem.
We were growing and consolidating a basically non-existent market. We are in a market that has indeed evolved and is more mature, but with great capacity to continue developing.
– According to the projections you handle, in what phase is the operation and why?
The challenge continues to be to strengthen the e-commerce market, since there is still a significant percentage of the population that does not have a delivery app installed. This also means a wide range of expansion opportunities for companies in the sector.
What is the difference with respect to the operation that exists in other countries of the region?
Orders It is already in 15 countries in Latin America. We can say that the other operations are markets in which electronic commerce has greater representation. This is also because since the pandemic, businesses have opted to become much more digital.
Although there are some markets that are more mature than others, regionally we face the same reality since there is still a large part of the population that chooses to order by phone and there we have a great challenge.
What is the market share of OrdenesYa in Bolivia? How do they converge with other players in the delivery industry?
As OrdensYa we maintain the leadership of the sector, with a significant penetration of users in all cities. We have an aggressive strategy to continue attracting people who download the application and are encouraged to place orders online. All the industry players converge on this last point: restaurants, entrepreneurs and delivery and quick commerce companies.
– What plans are on the agenda to grow the operation of OrdenesYa?
Our north as an operation is to open the business in local stores and ‘dark kitchens’ and new digital supermarkets.
We also focus on convenience purchases through the first digital supermarket in Bolivia; OrdersYa Market, with which we took an important step in the direction of establishing new standards in the world of delivery.
– With the appearance of OrdensYa Market, is there any interest in entering the retail industry with physical stores?
Our service is digital and we want to provide that experience to the user. We seek to simplify the supermarket experience in a fast and agile way, that is why we seek to encourage more people to bet on OrdensYa Market.
– How do you see the current delivery industry in Bolivia?
This is a market that can significantly expand the network of users, that more families adopt the service and that we can expand our coverage. In addition, there is a very interesting socioeconomic impact, which opens up new possibilities for those who are part of the value chain: entrepreneurs, restaurants, delivery people.
– How do you see the current situation of the Bolivian entrepreneurial ecosystem? What adjustments should be made?
The ecosystem has young professionals with a lot of grit, wanting to grow their businesses and open spaces. I am proud that many are our friends and business partners. They consider us allies to enhance their businesses. We have seen countless success stories, in which the sum of their vision plus the technological and logistical tool that we propose to them, has had impressive results.
There is an unexplored market of businesses that still do not know the facilities of e-commerce. Incentives are needed for those who dare to propose innovations and invest in technology. We also need to evolve as consumers.
PROFILE
Born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. He is a husband and father of three children. He counts
with more than 15 years of experience in different commercial positions
within the banking, telecommunications and e-commerce sectors. He comes to OrdensYa as Commercial Manager, so his appointment as Managing Director is a promotion within OrdensYa Bolivia.
