Are you feeling secure purchasing items you
haven’t physically seen over the internet and what state of mind are you left
with while you wait for your package to deliver?
As a person who gives his outward
appearance a significant level of regard I find online retail as some form of
relief seeing as prior to its introduction to Nigeria avenues to purchase
choice clothing and outfits have been somewhat limited and unsatisfactory,
either the boutiques and shops sell them at ridiculous prices or the items have
not been up to a satisfactory quality. In extreme circumstances most people I
know have been dependent on travelers who frequent western countries such as
the United Kingdom or the USA, more recently travelers to Dubai have been
relied upon. Sadly, not everyone can comfortably say they have that one person
who they can reliably entrust efficiently with such trips and tasks but there
are a large number of people who desire quality clothing and fashion
accessories no doubt.
For years this vacuum was seized upon by
knock-off retailers and the second hand clothing retailers in the local market
place and to a large extent these businesses flourished and are still
flourishing despite these latest developments but the gradual growth of a young
middle class with substantial disposable income has brought along with it a
knowledgeable and aspiring social strata who desire the superior quality while
being aware of brands and high end designers. It hasn’t been an easy journey
for these shoppers at all but finally, especially with the advent of the
cashless policy and online banking/e-payment facilities recently, purchasing
clothing items and accessories from online retailers who specialise in trendy
outfits has brought some form of relief. Now, your new brogues or oxford shirts
are just a click away.
In a niche way it has gone on to manifest a
new form of job creation as the growing presence of professional shoppers and
stylists indicates.
Are you open to the idea? Do you feel comfortable
providing your financial details on the internet? If you are then I suspect you
already have bought several items online by now. I for one fall into this
category somewhat and have benefited from simply browsing and clicking.
Even if there really is nothing better than
standing in a physical shop and trying out outfit after outfit while being
attended to and proffered suggestions from the experienced attendants, that
kind of service still is hard to come by in most urban boutiques and shops in Nigeria.
There really is not much people like me can do about that considering the
almost ridiculous costs items are priced in these physical retail shops. For a
pair of shoes that I could have purchased for N6,000 online (+ shipping) I
would most likely fork out N12,000 for the same pair of shoes if I was to come
across them in a Lagos boutique. Clothing brands have barely managed to break
even in Nigeria due to the common need to input rent and import costs into
their unit items.
Maybe these cloth brands and makers can
embrace online retail as well and create special delivery services to Countries
like Nigeria as a form of introducing themselves to a viable market such as
ours but it seems they all are more interested in creating a much long term
brand presence. Maybe I’m wrong but as
always I intend to get to the bottom of it.
In the meantime, you all should check out
sites like Konga and Jumia relatively indigenous online retail stores that have
clothing and accessories sections. To be honest I haven’t been overly impressed
with what they have to offer to a large extent but in desperate circumstances
they are an option. My own experience has largely been with asos and
riverisland. The experience of my items arriving was mildly ecstatic while and
a few months down the line I’m still enjoying this new found shopping
experience. If you’ve ever tried online shopping I’d like to read your own
individual experiences or if you’re totally against it then please share your
reasons why and let’s consider your points.
In the meantime, I’m looking at this pair of Kurt Geiger black lace ups
that I’d love to have.
No comments:
Post a Comment