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Tag: WearYouWant

  • Korean Fashion Struts Authentic Style to Thailand’s Online Shoppers

    Korean Fashion Struts Authentic Style to Thailand’s Online Shoppers

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion and beauty marketplace, is launching a premium, Korean fashion range in Thailand, designed and made in Korea, to satisfy the ever-growing love of Korean brands in the Kingdom. Developing a close relationship with online fashion house, Atria International Style, WearYouWant is sourcing authentic Korean brands, importing these for the Thai market from up-and-coming local Korean designers.

    Just as Korean pop music as captured a huge fan base in Thailand, there is high demand for Korean fashion too. The new Korean range of cool and stylish women’s apparel, accessories, bags and shoes, is to be showcased on WearYouWant. The launch, planned for December 2016, is big news for Thailand’s online shoppers. It is also a sign of growing focus from Korea on Thailand’s rapidly developing e-commerce market; the fastest growing in Southeast Asia.

    The WearYouWant collection is unique in Thailand and has been specially curated by fashion experts to assure quality and to appeal to the country’s online fashion-buying market who are actively seeking out Korean brands. Martin Toft Sorensen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of WearYouWant confirms that this latest fashion collection launch is part of an ongoing strategy to understand and meet their customers’ needs and a response to the market in Korea too.

    “Our decision to move forward with Korean brands is in part due to a general push for designers to expand beyond the saturated markets in Korea. WearYouWant is an ideal platform for this expansion as there is a great amount of passionate interest from our online shoppers for Korean fashions. We pride our success in being ahead of the curve with consumer trends and this is what makes our platform so vibrant, relevant and exciting.”

    This launch follows the Last Mile Fulfilment (LMF) Korea 2016 conference in September 2016, which Martin Toft Sorensen attended. The event focused on the attraction of Thailand’s solid e-commerce market and higher purchasing power for Korean brands looking to grow within Southeast Asia and succeed outside Korea’s competitive markets. Also clearly highlighted was the importance of fashion distributors in assisting Korean brands to spread out within the region and the value that this can bring to outside markets. The WearYouWant launch aims to add value to Thailand’s blossoming ecommerce market where demand is strong and expectations high.

    ATRIA STYLE (www.atriastyle.com), a powerful South Korean platform that sells contemporary fashion and beauty brands all over the world has been working closely with WearYouWant to fuel cross-border fashion and beauty relations in Thailand to build strong commerce presence between these two key retail luxury markets.

    Founder and CEO, Cindy Yun is optimistic about the future success of Korean fashion and beauty brands through the WearYouWant platform.  “Korean designer fashion is forward thinking, high quality and, in terms of production, there is a good lead time in creating output. This means that brands are stylish and affordable which greatly appeals to savvy Thai consumers. For designers looking to expand their collections outside of Korea, WearYouWant is a vital online lifeline and the e-commerce opportunity this launch entails will enable them to realize their true potential.”

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  • Thailand retail growth predicted at 6%

    Thailand retail growth predicted at 6%

    Thailand’s retail market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 6 per cent from now until 2020.

    This was revealed in the latest market study by global technology research and advisory company Technavio.

    Its research report, Thailand Retail Market 2016-2020, offers an analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging trends, as well as forecasts for six major product segments – grocery, apparel and footwear, beauty and personal care, personal accessories, home and garden, and consumer electronics.

    Grocery

    Valued at US$103 billion last year, the grocery market in Thailand is forecast to reach $145 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 6.92 per cent. The segment is largely driven by the modern retail sector, while increasing urbanisation and changing consumer lifestyles are playing a significant role in the market’s development.

    Supermarkets and convenience stores have shown the fastest year-on-year growth rates with 9.5 and 10.5 per cent respectively last year.

    “Even though hypermarkets offer attractive prices, consumers are increasingly preferring supermarkets for the convenience factor and the availability of a wide product range,” says Technavio lead retail goods expert Poonam Saini. “Unlike supermarkets, which are in urban zones, hypermarkets are generally in bordering areas, catering almost exclusively to nearby consumers.”

    Apparel and footwear

    The second-largest market segment last year, apparel and footwear is expected to reach $9.19 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of more than 3 per cent.

    Several foreign companies are competing with local companies in the segment, says the report. International brands have fair penetration rates, offering stylish designs and a wide product range through modern retail stores. Local brands have also been successful with their long-established presence along with customer loyalty and trust.

    “The popularity of the online channel is growing, and players are actively using social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram for promotional campaigns and marketing activities,” says Poonam.

    “Websites such as Zalora.com are becoming popular for apparel and footwear products, as these sites offer promotions and discounts.”

    Beauty and personal care

    One of the fastest-growing segments, beauty and personal care (BPC) is having more than 3 per cent CAGR and is expected to reach $5.53 billion by 2020. A continuous exposure to western beauty and grooming trends has helped maintain the growth of the market over the past few years.

    International BPC companies have a nearly 50 per cent share of the market, with comprehensive product portfolios and innovative products. Thai retailers are expanding and attracting new consumers, says the report, citing cosmetics brand Sephora, which opened two new stores in 2014 after entering the market late the previous year.

    Top vendors

    Technavio’s research analysts name five top vendors for Thailand in the report.

    Topping the list are supermarket Big C and retail conglomerate Central Group. Then follow CP All, which has a chain of 7-Eleven stores, and homewares stores Global House and Home.

    Other prominent vendors in the market are Adidas, Aeon, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Lazada, Nike, Sephora, Seven & I Holdings, Tesco, The Mall Group and WearYouWant.

    Technavio develops more than 2000 reports every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. It has about 300 analysts globally.

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  • WearYouWant establishes itself as a trusted digital partner

    WearYouWant establishes itself as a trusted digital partner

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion and beauty marketplace is fast becoming a trusted digital partner for industry brand names and distributors; creating a solid online presence in Thailand’s booming internet industry. Working with large, international brands and distributors, as well as smaller and more localized businesses, WearYouWant offers a uniquely customized e-commerce platform with a strong focus on targeted visibility and curation of merchants’ products.

    CEO and Co-Founder of WearYouWant Julien Chalte explains how the e-commerce site stands out for businesses.

    “Brands want to go digital, and need to, but may lack the knowhow, time and resources to be hands-on and do so effectively. WearYouWant personalizes the experience, creating and servicing every aspect of a merchant’s outlet, from the graphic design of marketing materials to uploading pack shot images.  

    “When I look at our monthly pay outs to our merchants it is great to see that we are indeed delivering growth to both the smaller independent designer with only one storefront and the big international brands at the same proportional scale. The secret for us has been to keep the dual focus of B2B and B2C and grow the two at the same pace. That has made us and our big and small merchants successful.”

    Minor International PCL, one of Thailand’s leading and largest distributors of lifestyle brands such GAP, Esprit, Bossini and Red Earth, value the partnership with WearYouWant.

    James Richard Amatavivadhana, Chief Executive Officer of Minor International PCL, says, “Digital development is rising so fast in Thailand that it is important for us to incorporate the strongest digital sales channels. The future of retail is changing, but the core principles of trust, confidence and transparency still reign, especially when it comes to e-commerce. WearYouWant has empowered us to grow digitally and has enabled us to create a flagship online outlet allowing widespread visibility to our brands and products as well as an assurance to consumers that the products they shop are genuine.”

    Sam Naghi, owner and MD at Sam’s Sports shop, is another merchant on WearYouWant’s platform selling mainly sport shoes that applauds the e-commerce website for the tremendous impact it has created on the business, by creating visibility and increasing their sales volume online.

    “Partnering with WearYouWant has made a huge difference for us. We have a whole new revenue stream and a digital storefront where both our products and brand gets noticed by customers we would have been unable to reach ourselves”, he said.

    WearYouWant recently received the Best e-Commerce Website Award 2016 from the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Business Development in two categories:  Best in e-Commerce Management and Best in e-Commerce Trusted Website. The award was presented during the Thailand e–Commerce Day held at e-Biz Expo 2016 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

    The first half year of 2016 ends 30th June and WearYouWant’s own forecast indicates at this point in time, a 120% growth in turnover in the first half of the year in 2016 compared to first half of the year in 2015.

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  • WearYouWant advises start-ups to add profitability to execution strategy

    WearYouWant advises start-ups to add profitability to execution strategy

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion and beauty marketplace is advising start-ups to have a clear strategy toward profitability as investors are now demanding it and that the e-commerce space in SE Asia is currently experiencing an exciting time.
    At the Last Mile Fulfilment Asia (LMFAsia) Conference & Exhibition 2016 held in Singapore last month which brought together  retailers, e-commerce businesses, logistics and parcel industry professionals, CEO and Co-Founder of WearYouWant Martin Toft Sorensen said there was considerable discussion on how start-ups should focus beyond just team, product and market to become successful.
    “Start-ups should have a clear path and strategy towards achieving profitability by scaling the business without forgetting the life time value of the customer versus cost per acquisition,” pointed out Sorensen.
    “If e-commerce businesses simply follow a desire to climb user acquisition heights quickly without keeping an eye on the ROI, there is a higher risk of a greater fall. Penetration from online platforms can go far, wide and deep but the trajectory needs to be based on running a business that brings money for investors, shareholders and other stakeholders in the near future.”
    Echoing this advice is Thailand’s e-commerce guru, Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, CEO and Founder at efrastructure inc. and Managing Director and Founder of TARAD.com, who also attended the business platform event. 
    Sorensen advises that in addition to creating a viable business model that balances cost of acquiring customers with the ability to monetize the lifetime value of a customer, start-ups should also be creative in how to attract and keep customers. 
    While many e-commerce sites are reporting high sales growth, the reality is that they may not be showing any profitability, said Sorensen. 
    “In Thailand, we have yet to see any e-commerce companies proving they can scale and yet become profitable.
    The recent acquisition of Rocket Internet’s fast growing, yet loss-making e-commerce site Lazada by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and Zalora (Thailand and Vietnam) by Central Group, has definitely created waves in the e-commerce industry”.
     Martin (left) and Pawoot (right) at LMF Singapore Mar2016_RS
    Sorensen says that while Lazada will pave the way for Alibaba to penetrate into SE Asia in a market leader position, it remains to be seen whether Zalora’s acquisition by a traditional offline retailer will kick start true omni-channel experiences in Thailand.
     
    Sorensen adds that this is an exciting time particularly for e-commerce companies and start-ups in general, as well as for investors. 
  • More Thai Men Shopping for Women’s Underwear Online

    More Thai Men Shopping for Women’s Underwear Online

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion and beauty marketplace, is praising the romantic generosity of its male customers in Thailand. Since the start of 2016, there has been a steady rise in men buying underwear online at WearYouWant for that special woman in their life.

    According to WearYouWant, in the last six months, underwear purchases by men on their online shopping platform have increased by 22%, with the first half of April seeing record highs. Approximately 56% of underwear sales are to men in Bangkok who seem to know exactly what women in Thailand want!

    It could be the summer sun turning up the heat on underwear purchases by men or perhaps the Thai New Year Songkran festival spirit has meant more men showering women with gifts. With a few clicks, shy men can easily shop for lingerie online for their loved one.

    Of course, WearYouWant stocks much more than lingerie, retailing over 17,000 different fashion and beauty items, including shoes, dresses and men’s clothing too.

    Julien Chalté, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of WearYouWant.com welcomes the sales, even if they are a little unexpected. “On WearYouWant, it’s always been women who have bought their own underwear traditionally, so it is surprising to see that in 2016, that trend is shifting. Perhaps it is that more men are in touch with their feminine side and keen on using women’s underwear,” he adds with a smile, “or maybe it is just more men are shopping online for underwear as presents for women.”

    It is not just men who like their loved ones to be well-dressed when they are undressed either. Women in Thailand also enjoy shopping for boxer shorts and briefs for their male partners too. Some 19% of all men’s underwear bought online at WearYouWant in February 2016 was purchased by female customers.

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  • WearYouWant presents a five-step guide to safe online shopping

    WearYouWant presents a five-step guide to safe online shopping

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion and beauty marketplace has created a five-step guide to smart shopping online for Thai consumers, with useful information on how to shop safely through reputable e-commerce sites.

    WearYouWant Co-Founder and CEO, Julien Chalté acknowledges that e-commerce in Thailand is still in its infancy and would like to guide Thai consumers into making smarter decisions when shopping online.

    “We are very aware that we are a part of a fairly new industry in the midst of enormous growth which does not enjoy the same immediate trust as our offline peers. Therefore, it is important for WearYouWant, as one of the leading players in the vertical markets, to take responsibility and provide our customers with a seamless and genuinely safe shopping experience all the way.  We offer a simple five-step guide to shopping safely online in the hope that more Thai consumers will enjoy online shopping – hopefully little by little spurring the e-commerce industry in Thailand to become the regional frontrunner.”

    Agreeing with Chalté, Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, President of the Thai e-Commerce Association highlights how the WearYouWant’s anti-cybercrime checklist is an invaluable guide. “There has been a huge rise in e-commerce in Thailand and this is positive news for online retailers attracting Thai consumers, as well creating more choice for customers.  However, the Thai e-commerce industry is still new and presently constitutes a fairly small part of retail as a whole. Alongside this expansion, we need greater education towards consumers to expand consumer knowledge about e-commerce and shopping online in general. The five-step guide from WearYouWant can help us all and we see it as incredibly useful.”

    The five-step guide:

    Step 1: Check for clear contact information:  Whilst a web shop may not have a physical retail outlet, credible e-commerce sites do have easily visible contact information. If contacts are difficult to find or simply not shown then proceed with caution. Look for a local Thai contact with a phone number or an email address and other company details for an international business.

    Step 2: Check for spelling mistakes and language problems:  E-commerce sites that are not legitimate are often full of glaring errors. This may not be an issue with a tourist site, but for an online shopping site, bad spelling and weird sentence construction should be a red flag. If a site is not an authentic e-commerce site, then it may be created quickly, using a simple translation tool. Check out the pages which list the conditions of purchases too, as well as the ‘about us’ page. Information about employees and photos can be a good indication of authenticity.

    Step 3: Check payment certifications:  E-commerce sites always display logos showing secure payment methods, such as PCI and Norton. The logos should be crisp, clear and recognizable. If there are blurred edges or if a certification has never been heard of before, it is advisable to be cautious. The rule is, if in doubt do not enter your payment details. Quite often a quick search online will reveal methods used by cyber criminals, such as company names regularly used and methods.

    Step 4: Check the company out on Google: Search engines are a shopper’s ally when it comes to investigating companies online. Simply typing in the business name into Google or any search engine should reveal some details which validate the business. This could range from the site and products being reviewed, advertised in various locations through sponsored links and mentioned in press releases and articles. Forums and social media sites can be great platforms to discover any negative experiences associated with a company and/or its founders.

    Step 5: Check common sense warnings: Instinct, logic and experience of online browsing are good indicators of whether an e-commerce site is the real deal and the products on sale are authentic. The golden rule is that while there are some amazing offers online, if a deal seems too good to be true, and then it probably is. Shoppers need to be realistic about offers in relation to the expected price of certain brand names and quality products. 

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  • Thai fashion e-commerce goes from rags to riches

    Thai fashion e-commerce goes from rags to riches

    WearYouWant’s site has 500 fashion merchants offering some 14,000 products. The company plans to release a native mobile app next month as 50% of its website traffic comes from mobile phones.

    The online fashion sector in Thailand is drawing massive interest from global players eager to cash in on one of the fastest-growing markets.

    Competition in the interactive fashion stores is expected to be more intense this year, says Thai fashion marketplace WearYouWant.

    But it will be increasingly difficult for newcomers to find a place in the Thai market because existing players have established a strong foothold here, said Julien Chalte, co-founder and co-chief executive of WearYouWant, a four-year-old website.

    E-commerce accounts for about 1% of retail sales in Thailand but the market is expected to see steeper growth this year.

    Mr Chalte said e-commerce was an immensely motivating sector because of its versatility.

    Thai consumers are very conscious of shopping behaviour both offline and online, so it is essential to provide the best and widest selection of products, good prices and efficient delivery, he said.

    WearYouWant’s site has 500 fashion merchants including boutiques, distributors and brands that offer 14,000 products.

    Online merchants can sell directly to consumers but delivery is handled by the site, which earns revenue through commission on purchased products.

    WearYouWant secured Series B investment funding of US$3.5 billion last September, led by the leading fashion e-commerce player in Japan, Start Today, which operates Japan’s largest fashion e-commerce portal Zozotown.

    Mr Chalte said Bangkokians were no longer driving the growth of online fashion shopping.

    “The fastest-growing provinces are Nonthaburi and Chon Buri, and the trend seems to be continuing into 2016,” he said.

    WearYouWant plans to release a native mobile app by March because 50% of its website traffic comes from mobile phones.

    The company will also introduce new feature apps including an image recognition engine that allows user to take a photograph of an item in a store and instantly be presented with a good offer on the same or similar product.

    The trend this year will move towards more mobile payment options, but cash on delivery will remain the preference.

    Mr Chalte said the average age of the company’s customers was 32. They mainly live in Bangkok, with 65% of customers female.

    Customers spend an average of 3,000 baht on the website. Beauty products remain the best-selling product, with clothing, shoes and accessories experiencing significant growth.

    In 2015, WearYouWant’s annual revenue rose 200% from 2014, with a 150% hike in turnover generated by mobile devices.

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  • Fashion and beauty ecommerce WearYouWant Attracts Middle East Oil Funder

    Fashion and beauty ecommerce WearYouWant Attracts Middle East Oil Funder

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion marketplace has secured its final round of Series B funding from what might be considered an unlikely source – business-savvy venture capitalists with a history of developing oil & gas in the Middle East. The investment is a real boost to Thailand’s growing reputation as an e-commerce hub and an impressive acknowledgement of WearYouWant as a leading online platform within that industry.

    Sebrina Holdings, based in Singapore, is a multi-asset class family office with a legacy that has mainly focused on oil & gas assets in Asia and the Middle East. The holding company also invests in. “extraordinary entrepreneurs and breakthrough ideas”. The WearYouWant investment concludes the fashion platform’s Series B funding round with an undisclosed sum. WearYouWant will utilize the cash injection to add onto ongoing Series B-funded initiatives.

    According to Julien Chalté, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of WearYouWant.com the holding company investment represents a positive step forward.

    Julien Chalte_WYW (1)

    “The funding from Sebrina Holdings is testament to the solid reputation of WearYouWant as an established e-commerce business with great potential and a welcome investment following the company’s success in 2015. As a result, we will continue our efforts in securing a greater foothold in vertical markets, strengthening our fashion community brand’s assets in the marketplace, with potential for expansion on a regional level, as well as developing our WearYouWant native app.”

    Director of Assets Group, Sebrina Holdings, Raouf Kizilbash sees real business potential in the WearYouWant investment based on the Thai e-commerce fashion marketplace company’s past success and future plans. “Joining WearYouWant is a good opportunity for us. WearYouWant has shown steep growth in 2015 and the projections for 2016 are promising. We are looking very much forward to working with WearYouWant in the coming years.”

    The Sebrina Holdings investment follows two previous series of funding . WYW secured Series A, amounting to USD 1.5 million in 2014 by Digital Media Partners, OPT SEA, IMJ Investment Partners and Julien Chalté, one of WearYouWant’s co-founders. The following year, they secured Series B investment  funding  for an undisclosed amount from leading Japanese digital fashion marketplace, Start Today, which operates Japan’s largest fashion e-commerce portal, Zozotown.

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  • Thailand Lingerie Sales Rise As Temperatures Fall

    Thailand Lingerie Sales Rise As Temperatures Fall

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion marketplace and beauty platform reports that far from adding on extra layers to guard against the sudden chilly weather, Thais could be doing the opposite – staying indoors more and wearing less!  With temperatures dropping the site has seen a sudden rise in lingerie traffic and sale in Thailand.

    It seems that instead of digging out an old sweater or cardigan, the cold weather is inspiring more cuddle-time with couples. Of course Thailand’s/Bangkok’s fashion conscious want to look great whether they are stepping out and about or snuggling up with a loved one at home…in their underwear.

    WearYouWant recorded a 70% increase in the sales of lingerie since the temperature plunged early this week.

    There are no doubt many who are hoping that the cold-blast continues for a little longer yet.  Many others are also now realizing that their undergarments need an upgrade and are logging on to WearYouWant to get their lingerie delivered straight to their door so they do not have to go out in the cold!

    WearYouWant’s CEO, Julien Chalté, finds the development amusing.

    “We cannot state whether this is related to the weather or not, but it is not difficult to imagine that the chilly temperatures may encourage certain indoor activities for which the lingerie would certainly be useful,” says the CEO with a smile.

  • WearYouWant Thailand sales soar

    WearYouWant Thailand sales soar

    WearYouWant Thailand – the Bangkok based online fashion marketplace – has reported a 150 per cent growth in revenue this year.

    “It has been an astounding year for WearYouWant,” says Julien Chalté, co-founder and Co-CEO.

    “We have outperformed our budget for the last 11 months and believe we will end this year on a strong note.”

    WearYouWant Thailand has been working hard this year to build brand awareness, including an advertising campaign on the BTS Skytrain network, which has boosted site traffic by 30 per cent.

    The raised brand awareness has encouraged brands such as Mac Jeans and Aldo to supply the site.

    “Our advertising campaign has shown remarkable results in terms of visibility. In addition to generating more traffic and conversions, it has also created trust on the B2B side, which has resulted in an increase of new partners joining our platform,” Martin Sørensen, fellow co-founder and co-CEO added.

    The Thai fashion market place now boasts about 500,000 visits per month and aims to create a high-quality, brand-led seamless online retail experience, which they have achieved for the platform in 2015 on both the B2B and B2C side.

    “We have had immense growth in 2015 on the partner side and on the end user side. One of the important strategic focus points for WearYouWant will remain to continue growing our B2B market  at the same pace as we grow our B2C database; that is key for being successful in a B2B2C setup as ours,” explains Sørensen.

    A fourth anniversary birthday campaign this month has set a new sales record for the site, which has achieving nearly 50 per cent of the total sales forecast for December less than half way into the month.

    The team behind WearYouWant: from left, Christian Skoglund CFO, Julien Chalté, Martin Toft Sørensen, co-founders and co-CEOs, and Thomas Kroman, chief marketing officer.

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  • One-Day Global Sale Sees Online Shopping Soar in Thailand

    One-Day Global Sale Sees Online Shopping Soar in Thailand

    WearYouWant, Thailand’s leading online fashion & beauty marketplace has become part of the global success story of Singles Day 2015, the world’s biggest online shopping day held on November 11th each year.

    Figures just in overnight reveal a staggering +1000% increase in turnover for WearYouWant compared to the same Wednesday last month, while order volumes soared to a growth of over 700%. Proof that Thai consumers are not only eagle-eyed when it comes to spotting big fashion brand discount, but are fast-becoming a growing e-commerce market to be reckoned with within the ASEAN Economic Community.

    WearYouWant retails high-profile international and local-designer brands from its Bangkok base, and recently received Series B funding from Japanese digital fashion marketplace StartToday.  During the run-away success of Singles Day, Thai consumers took advantage of discounts on over 14,000 fashion and beauty products. With 65% of the one-day shoppers being female, shoes, beauty and women’s clothing topped their online shopping lists.

    Singles Day Sale has been embraced  by e-commerce market globally, especially within the fashion-related  industry.

    This is the first year WearYouWant held this online sale nationwide, offering discount on their products from 11 am until 11pm. This Chinese ‘bare sticks holiday’, so-named because of the date’s single digits, is a day for singletons to celebrate and in more recent times to look for love. The Singles Day sale has become a huge global e-commerce extravaganza, with Chinese consumers alone spending more than USD 4 billion in the first hour of 2015’s sale.

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