IT'S nothing new, hawking your products online. While sites like eBay and Amazon have long made their presence felt here, there are also many local online shopping sites and "blogshops".
Malaysians are surprisingly savvy when going online for their purchases. A post on zippycart.com by E-Commerce consultant C.K. Wong noted that the most online shopping sites locally are for fashion and apparel. Lelong, Malaysia's own online auction site is still very popular.
The biggest endorsement of the huge online market is that PayPal (the online payment service run by eBay) now accepts purchases in Ringgit and withdrawal of credits to local banks.
Here are some of the local E-shops available that buyers can look into.
Doublewoot (double-woot.com)
Startup: Set up in Penang in 2007 by two sisters, Helen Tan I-Ling, 27, and Heliene Tan Ying Ying, 22. Heliene found buying things online cheaper than going to the stores (shopping offline is the e-shop speak). Most blogshops tend to be Klang Valley based. As such, sourcing was a problem (as Penang was not exactly fashion central). The sisters had to get their items from Kuala Lumpur and sometimes, directly from China.
Helen says that setting up an online shopping site is not as easy as it looks and actually involves a lot of hard work. They have now moved from a blog to a proper domain to cater to their growing customer base.
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The elder sibling is a graphic and product designer while Heliene is a student. They say the site has become 80% of their focus. They are also thankful to their mother who is their co-partner and takes care of quality control.
Promotion: "We took part in bazaars and posted adverts in prominent online shopping review sites, and approached various boutiques to create sale opportunities and get our name out there," says Helen.
Issues: When they first set up shop, it wasn't that popular as there were many uncertainties related to online transactions. The objective was to gain customer trust.
One of the major problems customers face is sizing and fitting as you can't try on the clothes or accessories as you would in a conventional walk-in boutique. "But we try our best to accommodate by providing model stats and offline consultation to minimise dissatisfaction."
Goodies: Mainly dresses, blouses, pants, for women and girls. Generally, clothes are free size, which suit small to medium sizes. There are lots of work wear and formal dresses as well as high-end pieces. Measurements for length, bust, waist and hips are provided. Customers are advised to compare the measurements with their existing clothes for best fit.
Prices: Average RM30 to RM65 (S$30-28).
Operations and payment: The site is updated every Sunday night with new items. The customer sends in an order, and a quotation is sent out with details. The customer banks payment into their account, and the items are packed and sent out the next day.
Delivery within Malaysia takes three to seven days and one to three weeks for overseas orders, depending on mode of delivery. Postage costs are born by the buyer but currently, there's a promotion whereby buyers are entitled for free postage if payment is banked in on the day of order.
Cash on Delivery (COD) is also available in Penang at no extra charge. Regular customers are allowed to visit their showroom for fitting and to pick up their purchases.
Payment is through online transfer or cash deposit to selected banks, PayPal and Western Union.
Returns: Only in special cases, with terms and conditions.
Dainty Dresser (daintydresser.com)
Startup: Run by 21-year-old student Lim Mei Hui who decided to tap her passion for fashion and online shopping. "I started off by finding out the location of my suppliers both locally and overseas from my aunt who owns a boutique. She gave me advice on how to run the business as well as setting reasonable prices for the items I'm selling." She currently runs the site on a part-time basis.
Promotion: When she first started out in December 2008, Lim could only advertise in the chat boxes of other online "boutiques". When review sites started, they became the primary source for advertising her site. Lim believes many customers know about her through word-of-mouth, especially in the Klang Valley where she is based.
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Issues: Her main problem is too much time spent online to answer customer enquiries and taking orders through e-mail. Add to that, having to answer text messages constantly throughout the day as "I need to ensure good service and fast response." So, juggling time between her accountancy studies and maintaining the business is tough.
Goodies: Women's apparel, mainly in free size to suit UK size six to 10, with some going up to size 12. Styles depend on the trends, specialising in feminine and the "sweet" look. Accessories also available. Exact "lay flat" measurements for apparel given. Shoes insole measurements are also provided.
Prices: Dresses and bottoms from RM30 to RM70 (S$30-70). Tops from RM20 to RM50 (S$8-21). Accessories and shoes, priced from RM15 to RM70 (S$6-30).
Operations and payment: Customers can e-mail or text their orders, and arrange either for COD or delivery via courier service (Poslaju or Pos Express, national and registered postage, overseas). COD is free at selected "hot spots" and customer bears cost of courier service. Payment by cash, bank transfers or Paypal for international buyers and credit card users.
Returns: Not allowed, except exchanges with terms and conditions.
Myloshop.com
Startup: Set up by Allison Chin (Al) and Ong Suan Chin (Suan), both 32, who have been friends since secondary school. Both studied and worked overseas (Chin in London and Ong in Manchester/London) but are now based in the Klang Valley.
Launched this year, the blogshop is run by them on a part-time basis as Chin is a freelance graphic designer while Ong is a chartered accountant.
When they were abroad, they really enjoyed online shopping. Back home, the local options, they say, aren't so great.
Chin says that while they do buy clothes from the likes of Zara, MNG and Topshop, they can't really afford it.
"Still, we yearn for that perfect dress, or top, or skirt. With our busy lives, we don't want to be stuck in traffic jams, look for a parking lot and then, fight with a stranger for a piece of clothing - it's just too much effort," explains Chin.
Intially, they sourced from local suppliers but found that others were doing the same. Chin says it took a lot of work and research, but they eventually found a manufacturer in Thailand willing to produce clothes according to their specifications.
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Currently, they have their own label called Mylo+Athena. The site is supplemented with other labels. The name is taken from Chin's two dogs, and also makes reference to Venus de Milo and Athena, the Greek Goddess of Justice.
Promotion: They use social media applications like Faceboook and Twitter. They also sponsor a local artiste (singer Diana Liu) to wear their designs, and attend street markets and bazaars.
Issues: Most people still prefer to shop the conventional way. The girls also lack the capital to go bigger in terms of merchandise. Chin says they underestimated the amount of time needed to run their online shop, which take up long hours. To minimise problems, they provide an extensive description for their goods and maintain high quality control.
Goodies: From their own label, mainly women's dresses (cocktail, evening and maxis), tops, skirts, pants. Accessories like belts, earrings and purses. Future plans include maternity wear and kidswear.
Standard sizes are small (UK size eight/US size four), medium (UK size 10/US size six) and large (UK size 12/US size eight). There are also some extra small and free size items. Bust, waist, hip and length measurements provided.
Prices: Dresses under RM139 (S$60) (with the exception of one dress which is selling at RM189). Belts from RM25 to RM39 (S$10-16), and bikinis from RM35 to RM39 (S$15-16).
Operations and payment: Orders filled up online and submitted (shopping cart).
Returns: A rare site that has a 21 days full refund or exchange policy as long as the item is returned unused and new.
Haute District (HauteDistrict.blogspot.com)
Startup: Catherina Dass designed and sewed her own clothes from young. Dass says that she couldn't find affordable dresses that were classic, sophisticated and elegant so she decided to make her own. "I didn't want to see the same style or the same dress in 10 different boutiques! I was also particular about the quality of the fabric and stitching."
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She started the business last year but is still running an IT business in the Klang Valley. Besides her own Catherine D label (inspired by architecture, quirkiness and old Hollywood glam) for dresses, she offers necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches.
Promotion: Dass started out by supplying to a few boutiques in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. Based on the good response, she decided to expand online. Initially, promotion was by word-of-mouth and then, she distributed brochures at shopping centres and also worked with newspaper distributors to slot in her brochures. She also advertised through Google Adwords.
Issues: Turning hits/page views into revenue.
Goodies: Women's dresses and separates for office, casual, parties and special occasions. Sold in sizes from UK size six to 14. Sizing chart on the site and detailed views of items. Only one piece of each design (customers can request for a different size) available, so no worries about someone else wearing the same outfit!
Prices: Dresses RM130 (S$56) upwards. Blouses and skirts RM59 (S$25) upwards, and accessories RM20 (S$8) upwards.
Operations and payment: Customers place order and opt for courier (postal service charges borne by customer) or COD at specified pick-up points around Klang Valley. Other than COD, payment is through online banking or PayPal.
Returns: For selected items, within three days of receipt of the item.
