We talked to Bogdan Arhip (GM, VIARdigital) about what it means to build a project dedicated to coupons and discount codes from scratch.

In the UK, over 90% of consumers use discount codes for online purchases, while in Romania there are three times fewer. There’s still a long way to go, but, as Bogdan says, the potential is huge.

We are currently working with over 700 stores from the 2Performant portfolio, across all categories: Fashion, Books, Pharmacy, Toys, Electronics, Home Appliances, Home & Garden. We generated sales of over EUR 130,000 in the last 6 months of 2025, with significant growth in the second half of the year.
The first interesting interview of 2026, below.

Bogdan, how and when did you discover affiliate marketing? What about BusinessLeague?

I discovered it many years ago, around 2008, at the beginning of my career. A friend told me about a job opening at the company where he worked – an Affiliate Manager & Partnerships position in a cybersecurity company.

As fate would have it, a candidate with specific Affiliate experience applied for that role, and the hiring manager decided to split the responsibilities into two distinct positions: Affiliate Manager and Partnerships Manager.

I already had a few years of experience in direct IT Hardware & Software sales, so the Partnerships Manager role suited me better. However, I worked closely for several years with the Affiliate colleague and gained a deep understanding of what affiliate marketing entails.

I had known about BusinessLeague for a few years, but only in 2024, when I started the current project, did I have direct contact with the platform.

What’s your background? Tell us a bit about yourself
I’ve worked for about 15 years in software sales, cybersecurity, and martech, both through partner channels and in direct sales. While both approaches have aspects that appeal to me, I prefer developing partner channels because it allows me to build long-term relationships and grow the business together with them.
I started my corporate career at HP, and with each subsequent move I chose increasingly smaller companies – from mid-sized companies to startups with 30–40 employees. The experience gained in developing strategic partnerships helped me enormously in launching ReduceriPreturi.ro.

Your project, reduceripreturi.ro – how did it start, what was the stake when you launched it?
I had wanted for a long time to launch a project dedicated to coupons and discount codes, but there were always other priorities. In 2024, I managed to align with a former colleague and that’s how ReduceriPreturi.ro was born, a coupon platform where users can find real and verified discount codes.

From the very beginning, our goal was to simplify the process through which users discover active deals and to eliminate the frustration caused by non-working codes.

For a long time, coupon websites in Romania operated in a gray area, frequently publishing expired codes or offers with no real value. This led to a lack of trust in online discount platforms.

Through ReduceriPreturi.ro, we aim to change this perception by offering exclusive coupons, constantly updated discount codes, and the guarantee that every listed offer works.

Our philosophy is simple: we know that every time a visitor makes real savings, when they actually benefit from a discount by using one of our codes, that visitor will return to the platform and use discount coupons again in the future. Trust is built through real results, not empty promises.

In the current economic context, we believe that using all methods of saving money is more important than ever, and discount codes can generate substantial savings if used consistently. Studies show that over 90% of consumers in the UK use discount codes for online purchases, while in Romania we estimate that only around 30% of consumers use this method, although there is no official statistic yet. This huge gap represents both a challenge and a massive opportunity for the Romanian market.

Moreover, the impact of coupons on retail is significant: voucher users spend 24% more than those who don’t use them, and coupons create a sense of urgency that stimulates purchasing decisions and helps stores manage inventory more efficiently.

Our ultimate goal is for internet users in Romania to adopt this saving method for every online purchase. That’s why we focus on exclusive codes – we prefer to have fewer discount codes on the platform, but active and verified ones, rather than hundreds of expired or non-functional offers.

Which stores do you collaborate well with in BusinessLeague? What defines a quality affiliate–shop partnership?
We currently collaborate with over 700 stores from the 2Performant portfolio, across all categories: Fashion, Books, Pharmacy, Toys, Electronics, Home Appliances, Home & Garden. We generated sales of over EUR 130,000 in the last 6 months of 2025, with significant growth in the second half of the year.

The secret behind this growth
We chose to reduce the number of stores published on the platform and focus on those that offer real discount codes with tangible benefits for users. We already have over 200 exclusive discount codes from Romanian stores, all tested through our verification process, which we continuously improve.

The quality of an affiliate–shop partnership is mainly determined by constant communication and the efficiency of collaboration. I’m referring here to how quickly you receive responses from a store and how open they are to various campaign proposals.

Some stores even come with their own proposals for exclusive codes, and this proactive approach is always appreciated. Stores that understand that a satisfied customer who has genuinely saved money becomes a returning customer – and one who spends more – are our ideal partners.

How would you define BusinessLeague in one sentence/phrase?
Community and competition for developing benchmark affiliate marketing in Romania.

What would you improve about the platform, if you could?
The communication system between affiliate and store – I’m referring to email-type messages. Although this is one of the platform’s strongest features, there are aspects that could improve productivity and communication speed. For example, a conversation history for each store, easy to track, or a centralized dashboard for managing conversations with multiple stores would significantly streamline collaboration.

What’s your favorite Challenge and why?
Revenue Rally is my favorite. We aim to focus on high-value sales, which is why we believe this type of challenge suits us best. Our strategy focuses on discount codes that not only attract traffic but generate real conversions and high-value orders.

The results from the last 6 months confirm that this approach works – when you offer users real discount coupons, they not only buy, but also return and bring other users through recommendations. Data shows that users who use discount codes spend 24% more, which means stores also gain significantly from these collaborations.You are already at the top of the Start-Ups ranking.

Are you considering becoming an Affiliate Manager in the competition?
I haven’t considered it so far, but the right time will probably come. For now, I’ve chosen to dedicate myself 100% to the ReduceriPreturi.ro project in order to reach our goals as quickly as possible. We have a clear vision and many ambitious plans that I want to implement before exploring other directions.

Why are stores still reluctant to try affiliate marketing?
Most likely due to a lack of trust in this traffic source, also fueled by questionable practices of some coupon platforms in the past. However, I can say that in all the businesses I’ve been involved in so far, affiliate marketing has always proven to be a hidden ace up the sleeve.

Many stores don’t understand that they only pay for concrete results – meaning actual sales generated. It is the most efficient marketing model from an ROI perspective. And when you collaborate with serious affiliates who focus on quality and user experience, the benefits are long-term: loyal customers who return, spend more, and recommend.

Plus, vouchers help stores create urgency among consumers and manage inventory more efficiently – they are extremely versatile tools for commercial strategy.How do you see the potential of affiliate marketing – in Romania and abroad?

With the help of 2Performant, affiliate marketing has grown significantly in Romania, and I could say you are an example in the region. The potential is immense, especially in countries with emerging economies and good access to internet and online payments.

As I mentioned earlier, we have a huge gap to close compared to mature markets – in Romania we estimate that only around 30% of consumers use discount codes, compared to over 90% in the UK. This means we have massive growth potential simply by educating users and getting them accustomed to this saving method.

I believe that once the mindset changes – and this is already happening through the efforts of serious platforms that provide real value – we will witness an explosion in coupon usage in Romania. Trust built through repeated positive experiences is the strongest growth driver. When users discover that they can consistently save money and actually spend more strategically using coupons, adoption will grow exponentially.

What are your plans for 2026?
We aim to become the preferred discount code platform for users in Romania, both in terms of quality and the diversity of discounts we publish. Our concrete objective is to double the number of exclusive discount codes – from over 200 currently to over 400 active codes that offer real discounts to our visitors.

We will continue to invest time in partnerships with as many diverse online stores in Romania as possible, while maintaining our high quality standards. Every code published on ReduceriPreturi.ro is verified through our rigorous control process, because we know that every real saving we provide to a user is an investment in their long-term loyalty.

We also constantly analyze our users’ behavior and introduce updates that will offer visitors a faster and more pleasant experience. Speed and user experience are essential for conversions in e-commerce.

We aim that by the end of 2026 we will be able to boast the launch of a platform in another European country. Hopefully, by then 2Performant will already be present at a European level and we will be able to further develop our partnership.

Your message for online stores that still don’t work with affiliates?
If you want to test a traffic source where you only pay for concrete results, affiliate marketing is the answer. And if you want to reach users who are actively looking to save money and are ready to buy – and who statistically spend 24% more – our platform, ReduceriPreturi.ro, is the right partner.

We focus on growing traffic and delivering real results – exactly what stores need to increase their sales sustainably. We don’t promise miracles, but an honest collaboration where both sides win: you gain quality sales and customers who spend more, while our users achieve real savings. And when everyone wins, the business grows naturally.