The history of Veliki.com.ua: from a local bike shop to a large marketplace

Veliki.com.ua appeared on the network in November 2007 as an online bike shop with a simple promise: to help a person quickly and without unnecessary problems choose a bike and everything they need for trips. For almost two decades, the project has gone through economic and political storms, changed technologically and turned into a large-scale online platform for sports, tourism and fitness. From two founders, it has grown to 5 departments and dozens of people.

2007–2010: the first kilometers of online retail

Starting in 2007 meant doing almost everything "from scratch": its own product base, selection processes, descriptions and consultations. The site lived off of really competent advice - from choosing a size to explaining the difference in components. The Ukrainian CMS Melbis Shop was taken as a basis and the store still uses it.

The global crisis of 2008 tested the strength of any online business. Veliki.com.ua relied on the community: on forums, recommendations, personal connections with riders. It was then that the habit of "selling with service" was formed: to respond quickly, explain simply, send on time.

2011–2014: community, events, exhibitions

The early 2010s were the time when online began to meet offline. Veliki.com.ua did not close itself off to the Internet: the team went out to people at events, joined cycling events, and showed new products “live". During these years, the brand participated in the Kyiv bicycle exhibitions Bike Expo and Velobike — this helped to better understand market expectations, test hypotheses, and meet customers in person.

The events of 2014 forced the entire business to reconsider its approaches. The cycling community did not disappear — it became even more united. Veliki.com.ua focused on what it does best: stable operation of Internet channels, clear delivery, useful content for those who pedal every day.

2015–2019: systematicity and expansion

The middle of the decade brought structure. The catalog grew, and with it - the requirements for navigation, filters, search speed and quality of descriptions. New sections appeared on the site consistently, and cycling topics were supplemented with related categories - equipment for tourism, fitness, goods for active recreation.

In the mid-2010s, the site already had branches in Kyiv and Kharkiv, its own YouTube channel and thousands of regular customers.
Veliki.com.ua financed the first stationary bicycle service station in Ukraine in Kharkiv (2015), appeared in the RAU and RetailersUA ratings, and in 2018 became a nominee for the E-Awards Ukraine among the best online stores.

2020: a year that changed demand and work patterns

The period of quarantine restrictions around the world caused an unprecedented surge of interest in cycling: people were looking for a safe way to get around and be active in the fresh air. For Veliki.com.ua, this meant solving applied logistical problems day after day, quickly replenishing the inventory, and expanding categories: electric bikes, home exercise machines, and equipment for home workouts were added to classic bicycles. The team actually worked in a constant state of stress, maintaining the quality of service under peak load.

The coronavirus forced the entire staff to work remotely. These technological solutions helped a lot later during a full-scale war and saved money on a large office.

2022 and beyond: working during war

The beginning of a full-scale invasion was a test. Part of the team evacuated, part worked from shelters - most employees lived and worked in Kharkiv, which was attacked in the first minutes of the invasion. But the store did not stop - logistics quickly adapted, delivery resumed in a few weeks. A separate merit is the rapid adaptation of logistics and communications so that customers in different cities received orders, and the service remained predictable. At the same time, the team joined volunteer and community initiatives, supported trips, and helped those who needed a bicycle for work and helping others.

2023–2025: from store to marketplace

Today, Veliki.com.ua is no longer just about bicycles. It is a large online platform with over 80,000 products, where tourism, camping, fitness, winter sports, electric vehicles, children’s products for activities and a sea of accessories live alongside bicycle categories. In 2023, the site officially entered the rankings as #1 in terms of traffic among cycling sites in Ukraine — over 350 thousand users per month.
The team launched a Scholarship program for students and creates content about a healthy lifestyle.

Today, Veliki.com.ua is the largest and best marketplace for sports, tourism and fitness, working with thousands of brands and partners across the country. But most importantly, it has retained the same energy with which it started in 2007: helping people move forward.

The team regularly updates content: selections, guides, explanatory articles and videos appear — everything that helps you choose equipment without the "pain of choice." An important part of the project’s DNA is educational initiatives, support for local events, and a focus on urban mobility.

The story of Veliki.com.ua is not just about business curves. It is a story about the long haul: how to keep pace where others are falling behind; how to maintain the humanity of service when the market is storming; how not to be afraid to expand horizons while remaining "big" in the main thing - customer trust.