Fashion Africa is a UK-based online store that connects customers with the best designers and the biggest brands in the world of fashion. Launched in 2011, the company now has more than 500,000 monthly active users and over 2.5 million products listed across their platform. We got in touch with the CEO of Fashion Africa, Mike Lee, to learn more about the business.
How Did Fashion Africa Begin?
The idea for Fashion Africa came about when Mike Lee was traveling abroad. Since he was traveling during the festive season, he couldn't bring his own clothes with him, so he had to buy last season's clothes to wear abroad. This led to a desire to find an alternative way of getting his hands on luxury brands' designs without having to break the bank. Traveling to countries like Tanzania in Africa or Sri Lanka in Asia had always been a dream of Mike's, and the idea of opening an online store to bridge the gap between countries was appealing.
Where Does Your Company Rely On For Funding?
Fashion Africa is a completely self-funded venture. They don't rely on any investment to get the ball rolling, and neither do they take on any debt to fund the business. They grew their user base via word of mouth and grew their product offering organically to keep costs down.
What Makes Your Company Different?
Key to Fashion Africa's unique marketing approach is focusing on key influencers and making targeted placements both on and off their platform. They've built a database of more than 100,000 influencers across social media platforms, and they use this to their advantage. By knowing which influencers to approach and being able to offer special deals and freebies to gain their trust, the company was able to grow their user base by 20% in under a year. They're also committed to being transparent about the business and its workings.
Where Do You See Your Company in Five Years?
Mike Lee would like to see Fashion Africa in international airports and on the streets of major cities around the world. To achieve this, they're looking to the next big thing in e-commerce and social media marketing to help drive organic growth, as well as exploring the possibility of franchising their business.
What Is The Long-Term Growth Strategy?
To achieve their goal of becoming a major brand in the world of fashion, Fashion Africa has plans to continue to grow their user base and product offering. To do this, the company is looking to take advantage of new technologies and platforms to gain traction and expand their reach. With every new update to their website, for example, they aim to increase their social media presence and gain more traction and leads from overseas.