The shelves of Eko Deli shop located on the corner of Jagiellońska and Piastów streets in Szczecin are full of organic products. You can have an organic coffee or a piece of gluten-free cake on the premises. Klaudia Kostarelas also wants to share with the customers her knowledge about what to eat to enhance the sense of well-being. The shop stocks cosmetics that are free from allergenic ingredients, such as parabens and silicone, as well as a wide range of professional literature on the subject.

The idea to set up her own business had long been germinating in her mind. When she found out about Fabryka Sukcesu undertaking carried out by West Pomeranian Economic Development Association, Klaudia Kostarelas’s plan was already crystallized.  After successful completion of all recruitment procedures and training, she was awarded PLN 30 thousand non-repayable subsidy (the only condition being that her company would need to remain in business for twelve months).  

“I was not even aware of the enormity of the costs associated with setting up a large brick and mortar store in the city centre,”  she recollects. Creating a business plan is quite a challenge for a person with neither experience nor theoretical knowledge in the scope of running business. In the end, opening Eko Deli ate up PLN 100 thousand. The remainder of that amount came from Klaudia’s savings and loans form the family.   She also uses the bridging financial support awarded by West Pomeranian Economic Development Association  in the amount of PLN 1400 a month.  The support granted to Eko Deli has been extended – the funds partly cover the rent due for the shop premises.  

The subsidy from Fabryka Sukcesu was spent for the shop furnishings, such as different pieces of furniture, refrigerators, the cash register, sofas, software and hardware. Only a small portion of the money was earmarked for the goods to be sold there. Today, the range of products available from Eko Deli, as compared with the first days after the shop opening, has increased tenfold. The interest in organic products seems to have grown in Szczecin recently. Persons with avid interest in healthy lifestyles, those who want to know what they eat and how it impacts their body are the typical patrons of Eko Deli. The shop is also visited by allergy sufferers, people who have undergone chemotherapy or who are fighting cancer.

However, after only half a year of its operations, it is hard to say that the undertaking brings any reasonable profit. “This is an issue to discuss in a year and a half, maybe two years’ time.  You cannot buy alcohol, cigarettes or other high-profit generating goods here.   As a rule, organic products are more expensive,” – she says. Additionally, the public awareness of the topic is relatively limited.    However, this facet of the problem is changing now. „””My shop is visited by customers who know that a slightly higher price translates into much better quality.  There are organic hypermarkets in Germany and they fare well - it is only a matter of time before they spring up in Poland,” - she adds.   

Klaudia Kostarelas tries to attract new customers using Facebook. She also actively promotes her business during campaigns organized in places that are typically associated with healthy lifestyles, such as fitness clubs or antenatal classes. She believes that the costs of advertising in newspapers or radio commercials are too steep and promoting the store through such channels will not necessarily entice more customers.

Prior to setting up her own firm she worked in sectors related to marketing and staff recruitment. She began promoting a healthy style of life at home and she was very successful on that front.

“Like me, my mum already knows that how she feels is a consequence of what she eats.  Before I opened Eko Deli I devoted some time to finding out what career path would be right for me.  I want to encourage all those who cannot make up their mind to establish their own businesses.   This is by far the best schooling you can get. And the harshest,” - says the owner of Eko Deli.

Monika Matusiewicz