Former Tazz, Profi executives launch Romanian local-producer marketplace Hambar

Alin Șerban, former CEO of Tazz, and Călin Costinaș, former deputy CEO of Profi, have launched Hambar, an online marketplace for Romanian local products. The platform aims to expand to more than 600 producers and 10,000 products within six months.

Hambar’s initial catalog covers 10 categories, including pantry goods, dairy products, fish specialties, baked goods, meat, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and beverages. Customers can also order packages combining several items from the same producer.

Before joining the platform, each producer is assessed by the Hambar team, including checks of the production site and manufacturing process, the company said. Producers receive individual profiles containing information about their businesses and the origin of their products.

“Behind every good product is a producer who should be able to focus on what they do best, without having to become an expert in technology, marketing or logistics,” Alin Șerban, Hambar’s cofounder and CEO, said.

“Our mission is to make it possible for an extraordinary product made in a Romanian village to reach customers throughout the country easily and safely.”

Customers can purchase products from several producers in a single shopping cart, pay by card, and receive deliveries in Romania or other EU countries. Producers manage their products, inventory, and orders through a separate application.

“Romania has an extraordinary world of small producers and people who are passionate about what they do, but too few of us know about them,” Călin Costinaș said. “With Hambar, we want to bring these two worlds closer together.”

Hambar has also partnered with eMAG and Salt Bank. Users can log in with their eMAG accounts, while members of the Genius Moț program receive free delivery on two monthly orders worth at least RON 300, regardless of how many producers are included in the cart. Meanwhile, Salt Bank is the platform’s official banking partner.

Hambar is available through customer and producer applications, as well as a desktop version.