By Anna Valmero
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA— For friends-turned business partners Rick Manzano and James Juliano, their business answers the lack of online shops that make shopping more convenient for men.
“Online ukay-ukay shopping has always been dedicated to women’s clothing and fashion accessories. There wasn’t anything dedicated to men,” Rick said.
He added that since men are not fond of going through racks of clothing, Thrift Store Manila sells clothes and items that were hand-picked with male shoppers in mind.
Rick, who uses his skills in web design and photography for his first online business, said the idea to start up a small business he can call his own came after attending a GoNegosyo Summit in September and within a month,Thrift Store Manila was born.
“Having a business has always been a long-time dream for us both. Since we are employed full-time, we wanted something we could call our own,” Rick said via e-mail.
Armed with knowledge on demographics of male shoppers, the business partners handpick a mix of “both conservative and fun pieces for Filipino men who enjoy fashion.”
Slowly, the business is getting noticed and is gaining followers on the store’s accounts in social networking sites such as Facebook and Tumblr.
Was it easy selling second-hand clothes to men online?
“I think the Internet is a great equalizer in terms of starting up a business because you do not need to put up a physical store. The drawback, however, is that most people still don’t like purchasing online. Add to that the fact that men are very tactile and need to touch things first before buying. But I think we are slowly getting the hang of it and the proliferation of stores over (social site) Multiply can attest to that,” explained Rick.
To set up Thrift Store Manila, Rick and James only had to buy 800 pesos worth of clothes and other articles for their first stock.
Compared to traditional ukay-ukay stores, the online shop has a higher markup price but Rick argues the items are “reasonably priced.”
“We go to different ukay shops around Metro Manila and go through hundreds of clothes, only to end up getting one quality item at the end of the day. We really put time, effort and patience for the business,” said Rick.
To promote their brand, Rick said they have a special packaging for the items and they also offer free delivery to Metro Manila customers.
But the additional selling point that they offer is to sell clothes that are easy to maintain and some tips via photos on how to use them, be it branded or not, to express one’s personal style.
Men by nature are drawn to clothes that are more practical, so we always pick pieces that are easy to maintain. When it comes to styling, we encourage expression of one’s personal style so instead of giving them confusing and wordy fashion tips, we constantly inspire them with photos via our pages especially in Tumblr.
In the next few years, Rick is optimistic that the local market for ukay-ukay clothes and goods would continue to grow especially as more Filipinos have learned to be fashionable and thrifty at the same time.
As for growing the business, Rick said they prefer to keep the online store small and more targeted to customers using free tools like Facebook that narrowed down their target clients and allowed them to reach customers.
“Naturally, people want to stand out or at least get noticed in the crowd, with their clothes. Ukay shops can help them get that goal because you are sure to find something fashionably unique and buy it at a much cheaper price,” he said.
Meanwhile, when the two are not busy looking for clothes to sell online, they are brainstorming for ideas to tap local artists for men’s accessories that can be sold at more affordable prices.
(Photos courtesy of Rick Manzano)
Get more information about Thrift Store Manila.
Beauty and Hygiene Child Health and Growth Clothing Consumer Electronics Consumer Goods and Concerns Family Family Health Concerns Fashion Footwear Furniture Games and Hobbies Health issues Home Appliances Household Care and Cleanliness Household Products Internet Mobile Lifestyle Parenting Personal Finance Pets Physical Wellness Religion Spa and Massage Special Occasions Spiritual Wellness Technology Industry Toys
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
