trends: global trading


past three years. She says, “It has really saved me so much time and effort. I also source aluminium soap dispensers – I couldn’t find anyone in the UK selling the quantity I wanted at the right price. I posted what I was looking for and within hours got more than 25 responses.” Global trading has enabled Denice to put together plans for a further shop in Glasgow and Purdies will soon launch a new Scottish spa range specifically designed for international markets. An element of Alibaba that


Image: Merchants Fine Jewellery.


wanted to source a bespoke range of boxes. Gaynor explains, “We wanted something of a high quality, which was environmentally friendly and from an organisation which was relatively local. We wanted more of an involvement in the design of the boxes than we‘d previously had, customising them to suit our own requirements. We’re a unique company and I’m a creative person and I wanted to be able to communicate that through everything we do – including how we display our products.” Having heard about Alibaba through an associate, the couple decided to give it a go. “When we posted a buyer enquiry we were inundated with responses, which was a little overwhelming to begin with. But we quickly found a supplier called Powell Marketing, based in Manchester, which seemed to be able to offer exactly what we had in mind. After some initial discussions, we placed our first order for 500 boxes. We wanted to keep the initial order small, to ensure the quality was consistent. As it turned out we needn’t have worried – the product was excellent.” They continue to use online platforms as the business grows. “We’re now working to design a whole new range of boxes and packaging to tie in with a brand redesign. It’s great to have found a supplier we know we can trust to deliver the product we need, when we need it. Everything is done collaboratively and quickly.” Gaynor added, “We’re about to launch two e-commerce sites so we’re currently using online trading to source a sonic jewellery cleaner that can be gifted to customers when the site goes live. I’ve no doubt we’ll find just the supplier we need.” With owners of small retailers


often squeezed for staff, online platforms enable them to do business without having to travel far and wide. This was the appeal to Denice Purdie, who owns Purdies Scottish Soap Company. Living in rural Scotland, Denice set up the company from her home to enable her to earn whilst caring for her four children. The company makes natural organic body products, but with no shops to sell to nearby, embracing the global marketplace was a necessity.


Denice started selling on eBay, but switched to Alibaba to allow sales in larger quantities. She now heads a team of 17, has four stores across Scotland and sells to shops and spas across the UK, as well as to Japan, North and South America and Europe. Even more impressive is that Purdies has reached this position without ever borrowing money from the bank. Denice now sources a large amount of her packaging on Alibaba.com and has been buying from the same provider for the


retailers often find useful is the ability to specifiy what they are looking for by posting a buying lead. This offers users the chance to describe the product they want exactly, with categories for every aspect from price range and quantity to uploading an image and giving an in-depth description. This way, products can be personalised to the buyer, something that Shed Simove of The Talent Shed found particularly useful. He set up the company 11 years ago as an outlet for his passion for creating novelty goods. Products include the ‘Control a Woman/Man’ remote controls, ‘Credit Crunch’ breakfast cereal in the shape of four different currencies and the ‘Chavstick’, a lip balm with a distinctive check pattern on it. He utilises global trading to make his ideas reality, as he explains, “The range of products I create covers so many different sectors, from food to electronics to beauty products, so I’m constantly looking for new suppliers who can manufacture exactly what I need. What’s more, the products I’m creating are all bespoke or customised - nothing is ‘off-the-


shelf’. I’m pretty much asking manufacturers to change their factory line for me, which the companies I find on Alibaba.com are willing and delighted to do. One of the reasons I return time and time again is because I can search for absolutely anything, a list of manufacturers instantly comes up and then it’s just a case of deciding which to go for, agreeing a price, how many we need and a date for delivery. Phenomenal!” The products are now sold internationally to independent shops, websites, and retailers including Urban Outfitters, Paperchase and Next. In addition to actively searching for suppliers, Shed also posts buying leads inviting tenders from companies, to which he typically gets 30 or more responses. He has several tips for businesses to get the best out of online trading: “I always try to go for ‘Gold Suppliers’. It’s a good idea to always do some quick background research into your potential suppliers, so you can check them out as a company. I also tend to pick two or three suppliers and explain to them that they’re in competition with each other to create the very best sample. Before the samples are sent, I ask for a video or photos of the samples, as I can usually see straight away if there are any fundamental issues which need to be ironed out, saving a lot of time.”


For more information visit www.alibaba.com


Image: a selection of products fromPurdies Scottish Soap Company


Gifts & Housewares 9


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