The Role of Innovation in Wholesale Trade: Dmytro Petlenko’s Perspective

At the center of our discussion are the innovative processes in wholesale trade and how they are reflected in the experience of Dmytro Petlenko, an entrepreneur whose professional journey deserves close attention.  Dmytro Petlenko exemplifies how strategic vision enables not just participation in an industry but leadership at its forefront — adapting and implementing technologies that transform established business processes. Having built his own highly efficient wholesale sales model, he effectively broke through the wall of traditional approaches, demonstrating a path to operational excellence in the industry through client orientation and logistical optimization. His deep insights and proven solutions place him among those shaping the future of the sector, approaching the level of top global experts in understanding real market dynamics and deserving recognition for his contribution to the development of effective trade models.

Dmytro, your extensive experience in wholesale trade, spanning nearly two decades and various market conditions, offers a unique perspective. Today, we’d like to discuss with you the significance and forms of innovation in this seemingly traditional business sector. From the height of your years of experience, how would you characterize the essence of genuine innovation in wholesale trade that goes beyond simply updating the product assortment? 

– Innovation in wholesale trade is, above all, about finding and implementing more efficient ways of doing business. This may involve optimizing logistics chains, introducing digital platforms for interaction with clients and suppliers, using data for demand forecasting and inventory management, and developing new service models that enhance customer value. Simply expanding the catalog is an operational routine; true innovations transform processes, increase transparency, speed, and convenience in interactions, or open access to new market niches and pricing models.

Analyzing your rapid growth in your first company up to the level of VIP Manager, can we say that you were already applying innovative approaches to client segmentation or optimizing interactions within the existing wholesale structure? 

– At that stage, it was more about intensive immersion in the industry and building effective communication. However, certain elements of innovation were present in the approach to serving VIP clients. Instead of standard reactive service, I aimed to proactively analyze their needs, understand the specifics of their businesses, and offer comprehensive solutions based on knowledge of a wide range of suppliers — not just my company’s assortment. This required deep segmentation and an individualized approach, which can be considered an early form of client-oriented innovation within my responsibilities. The main focus was on optimizing the purchasing process for the client and minimizing their effort.

The creation of your own business introduced clients to a new interaction model supply consolidation and optimized logistics. How innovative was this approach for the market at that time, and what was its fundamental difference from traditional wholesale schemes? 

– The fundamental difference — and, one might say, the innovative nature of the model — lay in shifting the focus from selling goods from a specific warehouse to providing a comprehensive supply solution. Traditional wholesalers worked within the limits of their own assortments. My model aggregated offers from multiple suppliers, allowing clients to receive everything they needed through a single point of contact. Add to that optimized “door-to-door” delivery and flexible payment terms — this created substantial convenience and time savings for auto shops and service centers. Essentially, it was a service innovation layered over traditional wholesale trade, solving the problem of market fragmentation and the complexity of the procurement process for end B2B clients.

The transition to online sales through specialized and later multibrand platforms was a significant step. What became the driving force behind this technological transformation of your wholesale business, and how did implementing platforms like parts-soft change your operational model? 

– The driving force was the need to scale operations and improve order processing efficiency, as well as the desire to provide clients with a modern tool for independent selection and ordering of parts 24/7. Phone sales have natural limitations. The introduction of a specialized and later a powerful multibrand online store on the parts-soft platform made it possible to automate many processes: from displaying up-to-date stock and pricing from different suppliers to order placement and tracking. This freed up managers’ time for more complex tasks and consultations. The platform became not just a storefront but the core of the operational model — integrating supplier data and providing clients with a convenient interface, which was an important technological innovation for our business.

Your experience organizing supplies from Crimea after 2014 can be seen as an example of situational innovation for market access. What unconventional logistical or commercial solutions were required to make this scheme work? 

– Yes, it was an adaptation to specific conditions. The new auto parts market turned out to be significantly broader in both assortment and supplier base. The idea was to use this advantage to supply markets where demand still existed. The main challenge was logistics across the border, which was still functioning at that time, though with restrictions. The solution involved using private carriers specializing in such routes. A separate online store was launched, targeting that market with tailored pricing and delivery terms. In essence, it was an innovation in building a cross-border logistics chain and leveraging market arbitrage under complex conditions. The project successfully operated for several years until the complete cessation of transport connections.

Wholesale business, especially when dealing with government procurement or large clients, requires effective information and process management. Did you apply any innovative approaches involving data use or automation to improve the efficiency of these operations? 

– When working with government procurement, the main focus was on deep knowledge of procedures, documentation requirements, and forming competitive pricing proposals based on access to a broad supplier database. The use of electronic trading platforms itself is an element of process digitalization. As for data management in the core business, the online store platform allowed for analysis of sales statistics, popular items, and customer behavior on the site — all of which helped in forming warehouse stocks and planning marketing activities. Specialized systems for advanced data analytics or complex CRM automation were not implemented at that time; the emphasis was on the efficiency of core operational processes and flexibility in client interactions.

Any innovation faces obstacles. What were the main barriers — technological, organizational, or personnel-related — that you encountered when introducing new approaches in your wholesale enterprises? 

– The main and constant challenge, especially in a mid-sized city, was staffing. Finding specialists who could not only perform routine operations but also master new tools (such as complex online platforms), understand business process logic, and show initiative was always difficult. High employee turnover at certain stages complicated implementation and standardization of new processes. Technological barriers were less pronounced — modern platforms are quite accessible. Organizational difficulties arose during scaling, requiring the restructuring of internal processes, logistics, and motivation systems, which always takes time and resources.

Looking ahead, what technological or business model innovations do you consider most promising for the future of wholesale trade? Does your current experience in the U.S. influence this vision? 

– I believe the future of wholesale trade lies in further digitalization and data utilization. Promising directions include implementing predictive analytics systems for inventory and pricing management; using AI to personalize offers and automate customer support; and improving transparency and efficiency of logistics chains through modern IT solutions. We will also see continued development of platforms and marketplaces that increasingly blur the boundaries between manufacturers, wholesalers, and end B2B clients. My experience in the U.S., where the penetration of digital technologies and data-driven business orientation are very high, certainly confirms these trends and demonstrates the potential for applying such innovations in other markets as well.

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