Scaling to €36M+ in Online Sales: How Macromex Built a Future-Proof B2B Marketplace with VTEX

For 30 years, Macromex dominated the Romanian food industry, but its success was built on a traditional model: complete reliance on a physical distribution network and manual order taking. To maintain its leadership in an increasingly digital world, Macromex needed to move beyond "just a website." The goal was to build a collaborative commerce environment that could handle the complexity of 1,200+ SKUs and thousands of B2B clients in HoReCa and retail without increasing human overhead.

Macromex chose VTEX for its flexibility as a SaaS solution and its ability to evolve with industry demands while allowing fully customized implementations tailored to the company's specific operational requirements. Five decisive factors drove the decision:

1. ERP Integration: Seamless connection with Macromex's ERP system, automating and reducing errors in order processing.
2. Teamwork Approach: VTEX's collaborative model, including a dedicated Success Manager role, ensured that business challenges, not just technical ones, were addressed at every stage.
3. Performance-Tied Revenue: VTEX had the courage to tie its revenues to the performance of the Macromex platform, providing the strongest possible guarantee of continuous development.
4. International Platform: Macromex benefits from a platform that evolves to meet the requirements of dozens of clients worldwide, keeping pace with industry developments.
5. Marketplace Scalability: VTEX's integrated ecommerce solution enabled Macromex to scale its platforms into full marketplaces, marking the next step in its digital evolution.

The initial phase saw the launch of two dedicated platforms: Bocado.ro for HoReCa specialists and Mercadi.ro for grocery store owners. The VTEX platform's multi-store, multi-tenant, multi-storefront, and multi-price capabilities were perfectly suited to handle Macromex's diverse client base, including the granular, per-client pricing that is essential in the HoReCa industry.

"We chose VTEX because it's a flexible SaaS solution. We benefit from an international platform that evolves to meet the requirements of numerous clients worldwide and keeps pace with industry developments. Simultaneously, we have the flexibility to implement a customized solution tailored to the specifics of our operations. For instance, one of the essential functionalities in the HoReCa industry is the granularity in pricing: through multi-price lists, we can set differentiated prices for each client, each with a different product mix."

The Bocado Marketplace platform today serves as a robust self-service solution for clients, enabling them to place orders quickly and efficiently, track all orders (both online and offline), access real-time invoices and account balances, explore the full Macromex portfolio alongside third-party marketplace sellers, and find inspiration for menus and business offer development.

The Bocado Marketplace - Macromex's unified digital supply platform for HoReCa and retail professionals.

The digital transformation journey yielded impressive results rapidly. In the first year after launch, Macromex transacted over 20 million euros through Bocado.ro and Mercadi.ro. By the end of 2023, Bocado.ro had onboarded over 6,000 B2B clients, processing more than half of Macromex's customer orders and surpassing 30 million euros in online sales.

By 2026, Macromex reached a major milestone: unifying the Bocado and Mercadi platforms into a single Bocado Marketplace. This strategic move transformed the platform from a simple ordering tool into a comprehensive digital supply ecosystem for HoReCa and traditional retail.

Customers can now access the Macromex catalog alongside third-party supplier offers in one centralized location. The platform hosts 60 sellers and over 3,000 listed products, offering a significantly broader selection and allowing clients to source from multiple suppliers through a single procurement workflow.

As of 2026, Artificial Intelligence has become a cornerstone of Macromex's digital strategy, maximizing operational efficiency and simplifying the ordering process across the entire ecosystem.

Magico AI Predictive Ordering: This system analyzes sales history and customer behavior to anticipate supply needs, optimizing orders, stock levels, and operational planning for both Macromex and its clients.

AI Conversational Assistant: Integrated directly into the Bocado platform, this assistant revolutionizes how customers discover and explore the catalog. Through natural language interaction, both text and voice, users can ask product questions, receive personalized recommendations, and get tailored menu suggestions or supply solutions. The assistant also provides guidance on platform features and benefits.

By combining AI-driven prediction, smart recommendations, and conversational interfaces, Macromex is building an AI-assisted digital supply model that simplifies the ordering process and maximizes operational efficiency.

The automation of over 100,000 annual orders, seamlessly synced to the ERP system without human intervention, has fundamentally changed Macromex's operations. This ensures high data accuracy and frees the sales team to engage in thousands of high-value interactions: specialized client consulting, new product listings, personalized recommendations, and market development initiatives.

"Our digital channel has moved from an experiment to a core operational pillar. By integrating AI and expanding into a marketplace model, we aren't just selling products; we are building a digital supply ecosystem. Today, our sales team is no longer just taking orders; they are consultants driving market development, while the VTEX-powered platform handles the rest."

Through continuous innovation, a unified marketplace approach, and the integration of advanced AI tools, Macromex and VTEX have built a resilient, future-proof digital commerce operation that leads the industry in Romania and beyond.

All information provided in this Case Study was approved by Macromex.