Fashion-forward C2C marketplaces in Asia are taking off in 2014. From clothes to shoes to skincare, these eCommerce retailers are capitalizing on mobile apps and focusing on women as their target demographic. This is continuing a trend from 2013 of startup investments favoring fashion, online retail and eCommerce, says Tech In Asia. Fashion alone has $520 million US in funding. We'll be seeing the results in 2014, notably with companies that operate on models similar to Amazon’s, such as sister companies Lazada and Zalora.
Unlike European and U.S. markets, where Amazon and eBay continue to dominate, the major players have yet to be decided in the promising Southeast Asian market. The fashion website Zalora's decision to launch a C2C marketplace early this year is an early bid for dominance with funding from investors such as Rocket Internet. The family of sites counts over 15 million visits monthly; their new marketplace will allow independent sellers to reach this wide audience along with the current international brands — such as Longchamp, Converse and Jack & Jones — already on the site. The aim is to create a fashion hub with a mix of international and local brands that's a one-stop site for anyone who loves fashion. With over 30,000 products already on the site, they are well on their way to this goal.
Besides connecting the fashion conscious, Zalora is also changing how customers receive their orders. Their customers in Thailand can now choose to have items delivered to local 7-Eleven stores for 24/7 pickup possibilities. We call that super convenience and another great example of how the 7-Eleven franchise has adapted to its Southeast Asian clientele. We'll be watching to see what happens to its operations in Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, and New Zealand.
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