From local to international player: giftmall’s growth story
This year, giftmall will celebrate its 13th birthday. Our company had a long way to go to become who we are today. We would love to give you a quick recap of our story, how we grew from a local catalogue to an international solutions provider in corporate rewards with gift cards in Europe.
With us, our clients, users, and partners grew significantly through the years, so we dedicate this article to them – giftmall appreciates each and every one of you. Let’s dive in.
The idea to create a local brand catalogue didn’t come out of nowhere. Kate Prokhatska, Co-founder and CEO, discovered that a large business segment on the market requires huge volumes of brand gift cards to motivate its employees, partners and customers. First and foremost, Kate realised she needed to invest in a warehouse first to store all gift cards so they are always available for order. And just like that, in 2013, giftmall was born.
The priority back then was to help corporate clients organise motivation programmes and occasion gifts for the team, for instance, during the Christmas holidays. The team wanted to show in action that brand gift cards are a much better way to celebrate and reward employees than merchandise or cash bonuses. At the same time, working directly with brands, the company tried to meet all of their conditions to broaden the catalogue with favourite local brands. Right now, this principle still holds as we work with all our stakeholders on a win-win basis.
In 2019, we decided to launch our tech solutions for corporate rewards automation: giftmall business account, API and white label integrations for сlients.
Co-founder & CEO, giftmallWe saw a clear need on the market to ease the operations regarding corporate rewards. So, we filled that need with our unique tech solutions right on time. In Ukraine, we are still the only ones on the market who provide them, though.
That same year, the company decided it was time to scale to Europe, doing subsequent research and preparing to conquer new markets. In 2020, as the global pandemic hit, we launched our products and services in Poland, and then, in 2023, in Spain.
Chief Revenue Officer, giftmallThe European market is now full of gift card providers offering solutions to recognise and retain employees, customers and partners. This strong competition means clients are more demanding and expect wider catalogues, flexible options and high-quality support. To meet these expectations, giftmall takes a personalised approach to each client’s needs, keeping the end user at the heart of everything we do.
We are now focused on expanding into Europe and growing our presence in the markets we already serve. Our team inflates the catalogue with more favourite local and international brands in every country. Another goal is to grow our international catalogue for corporate orders, which now accounts for 3,000 brands in 45 countries worldwide.
In 2023, giftmall launched the mobile app on iOS and Android to ease the ordering and management of gift cards for our users, and we delivered just that.
By combining technological innovation with human-centred service and a growing network of brand partners, giftmall helps businesses across Europe motivate their audiences with rewards that work, so they can focus on what matters while we handle the rest.
Let’s look at what we’ve achieved so far and how the company operates today. Here are our main numbers through the years:
Co-founder & CEO, giftmallWe are very proud of what we managed to achieve so far. Here’s to the new heights our company will conquer in the coming year.
We would love for you to join us on this gifting and rewards journey in 2026. If you’re interested, please contact our team or write to us at [email protected].
