Websites are not the only way to sell. Online market places let you sell your product, while the marketplace operator exclusively maintains and process the transactions.
Almost all the top brands have an e-commerce site. They come up with new products and interesting content to outshine their competitors and woo their customers.
The role of the online market place in the field of fashion, one of the world’s top and fast-moving businesses, is significant.
How can young designers take advantage of an online market place?
There is a crop of young designers entering the mainstream market every year from the best fashion designing colleges in Bangalore. They come up with new creative ideas and techniques, but often do not have a platform to exhibit their work.
It takes years of apprenticeship and working in the shadows before they gain recognition.
Online marketplaces bring a shift in this paradigm. Designers can now harness the endless opportunities a marketplace can offer to showcase their work, make their label accessible, and drive sales.
Benefits of listing your brand on a fashion marketplace
- Reach out to a broader audience
- Gain brand exposure without burning a hole in your pocket
- Redirect customers to your products by featuring on Social media
- New customer acquisition.
Top marketplaces
There are so many online marketplaces for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about building a brand. Let’s explore some of them.
- Amazon: Jeff Bezos started Amazon as a small online shop which has now become a multi-billion dollar business. Amazon is recently making moves to become the go-to-fashion destination. Their innovative marketing tactics like Virtual trials and Prime Wardrobe make it the perfect marketplace for young designers to gain maximum revenue and exposure with their products.
- ASOS Marketplace: This international online platform supports independent designers and brands. Over 500 online boutiques offering a wide range of clothes, shoes, and accessories conduct their business through ASOS. It offers attractive possibilities to its users, and some of the best designs are also showcased on the ASOS website, thus securing more brand exposure.
- Etsy.com is a global sales platform that plays a vital role in unearthing new design talent from around the world. Etsy showcases today’s fashion brands and people from around the world shop here to find unique, eclectic, and vintage fashion items. So if your label is different from the run of the mill or fast fashion options, your chances of attracting the right buyers are more. The online marketplace offers many sales tools that have helped designers gain exposure and establish their brand.
Young designers who have graduated from some of the top 10 Fashion designing institutes in India and the best fashion designing colleges in Bangalore are choosing to launch their labels through online marketplaces.
So are you ready to launch your label online?
Consider the following factors,
- Determine your target audience and the kind of designs you plan to sell
- Do market research on products targeting a similar audience.
- Will you be targeting consumers, wholesalers, or retailers?
- Do you have the inventory to fulfill new orders?
- Do you have a support system to analyze product reviews and feedback from customers to improve your products?
Once you have all these details in place, choose a marketplace that resonates with your brand value, provides you with the support you need and make your label a success.