How Marat Bolatov’s Native Commerce Powers End-to-End Ecommerce with AI and Human Touch
Marat Bolatov, CEO and Founder of Native Commerce, shares insights from building a platform that integrates front-end ecommerce with back-end operations for quick commerce brands worldwide. This interview dives into their journey from pioneering grocery delivery apps to launching an AI-driven self-serve ecommerce studio and the lessons behind customer experience, growth, and retention.
In this edition of the Ecommerce Authority Playbooks series, we dive into how
Native Commerce grows, retains customers, and prepares for the future of search in 2026 and beyond.
The interview
1. What’s the quick origin story of your brand, and what makes your product or positioning genuinely different from other options in your niche?
Marat Bolatov: We started as a quick delivery grocery brand called Jiffy Grocery and became the no.3 app in the UK for grocery delivery, pioneering the way for quick commerce in London for the likes of Deliveroo and others. What makes us different is that you can run everything in ecommerce from the front-end website and apps to the back-end operations, warehouse and logistics in one platform, backed by expertise from true native operators in ecommerce.
2. Since launch, what have been the 1-2 real turning points for your brand-specific decisions, pivots, or experiments that noticeably changed your growth or profitability-and what did you learn from them?
Marat Bolatov: Signing our early customers and growing with them has been a big learning experience and growth experience; our clients’ growth is our own and this is part of our DNA. We’ve launched the largest drinks delivery company in the UAE, the first ever online grocery in Western Africa, and the first quick commerce grocery in Iceland. Everything we build and learn goes back into the platform for future learning and growth. Right now, we are adding AI front-end capabilities, which we believe will revolutionise how brands run end-to-end ecommerce, which is another pivot. Ultimately, we are becoming a self-serve product as opposed to a B2B SaaS company, which is a big shift. Right now, we are launching our very first AI Native Ecommerce Studio, which will allow anyone to create a store in minutes with specific intentions, whether selling on a TikTok shop or building a grocery store in any country
3. Which 2-3 channels drive most of your revenue right now (for example SEO, paid social, email, marketplaces, influencers), and what have you learned about making those channels work in your category?
Marat Bolatov: SEO, organic content, paid social, personal, and investor networks. We are launching into influencers and affiliates with our new product launch. We’ve learned that you have to continuously adapt and refine the quality of your creative and advertising to meet the demands and needs of your target audience, whilst staying relevant and interesting and refreshing your brand and communications to create demand.
4. How are you thinking about search in 2026 – Google, AI assistants like ChatGPT, and other discovery platforms? What, if anything, have you changed in your content or site to stay visible as AI search grows?
Marat Bolatov: We are thinking about how to show up in AEO with a few different tools, and also staying relevant with our content and messaging so that we can be found by agents and present as a choice when people are searching for our type of solutions. It’s a constant learning process and optimisation to be present and relevant. The same is true for our customers; people are shopping differently and this will continue to evolve. How you get discovered is changing.
5. What do you do to turn first‑time buyers into repeat customers and advocates? Are there specific experiences, content, or community touches that work especially well for you?
Marat Bolatov: For us, retention starts with the product experience itself. Before thinking about loyalty programs, content, or community initiatives, we focus on delivering an experience that customers genuinely love and want to use again.
The biggest driver of repeat purchases is consistently solving a real problem better than anyone else. If customers receive exactly what they need, when they need it, with minimal friction, they naturally come back.
We also believe that trust is built through consistency. Every interaction with the brand should reinforce the same promise. Customers don’t become advocates because of a single campaign; they become advocates because the company repeatedly delivers on expectations.
Finally, we’re big believers in keeping things human. As technology becomes more automated, a genuine human connection becomes more valuable. We try to make sure customers feel that there are real people behind the product who care about their experience. That human element creates stronger emotional loyalty than any discount or rewards program ever could.
6. If you had to write a short playbook for an ecommerce founder one stage behind you, what would you double down on over the next 12 months – and what would you stop doing entirely?
Marat Bolatov: If I had to advise a founder one stage behind us, I’d focus on three things: customer value, speed of execution, and people.
First, obsess over creating a customer experience that is genuinely better than the alternatives. In e-commerce, growth becomes much easier when customers understand why your product or service is different. If you’re solving a real problem and delivering a better experience, customers will come back and tell others.
Second, move faster than feels comfortable. Many founders spend too much time planning, optimizing, or waiting for perfect conditions. In reality, most of the important lessons only appear once you’re in the market. Launch early, stay close to customers, and learn through execution.
Third, invest heavily in your team and relationships. Looking back, who we built with was often more important than what we built. Strong partners, trusted colleagues, and people who stay with you through difficult periods create an enormous advantage over time.
What would I stop doing entirely? I’d stop chasing perfection. Whether it’s fundraising, product development, or company building, presenting a flawless story usually creates more problems than it solves. Be honest about risks, uncertainties, and weaknesses. People trust founders who understand what can go wrong and still have the conviction to keep moving forward.
ecommerce journey and insights with Leaders Perception’s readers.
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