SwishTT moves women’s thrift purchasing on the net

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SISTERS Renee and Emma Chin Lee have taken a leap toward shifting the dynamic of women’s manner and buying in TT, launching an on line consignment market centred on sustainability and affordability.

SwishTT.com, a consumer-pleasant e-commerce site for purchasing and marketing new or gently-applied women’s outfits and extras, went dwell before this month. Founders Emma, 21, and Renee, 25, say the idea is to shift away from “quickly trend” trends and lengthen the lifespan of clothes.

Shopping on SwishTT is like searching on any other e-commerce website. The web page features filters according to group, measurement, color, cost and issue and accepts credit history playing cards at checkout.

While they realize that some shoppers may possibly feel hesitant to acquire second-hand apparel, the Chin Lees emphasise that clients are safeguarded with a “Customer Safety Guarantee” below which SwishTT guarantees a return and refund if the item was incorrectly marketed by the vendor.

“There are a handful of brilliant consignment boutiques in Trinidad already,” Renee informed Newsday. “Having said that, we saw the possibility to produce a one particular-prevent system to make the consignment system as seamless as achievable to attract even a lot more customers and sellers across the island. For example, we have had buyers in Diego Martin obtain goods from sellers in San Fernando, with no the buyer or seller having to leave their properties.”

The business enterprise product tends to make it probable for the site to inventory unlimited goods, due to the fact the sellers hold their merchandise until finally they are purchased.

Offering on SwishTT necessitates sellers to add shots of their items, along with descriptions and selling prices. When an get is positioned, the seller is notified and SwishTT’s shipping team collects the item from the seller, deals it and provides to the shopper.

The earnings are credited to the seller’s “Swish Wallet,” which can be utilized to make purchases on the web page or cashed out.

The environmental component of the organization design was amongst the main motives for starting off SwishTT. Renee referred to a study from Aalto College, which observed that the manner sector accounts for 10 for each cent of once-a-year international carbon emissions. The exact same review, she pointed out, found the business produces 92 million tonnes of squander and consumes 79 trillion litres of water for every yr.

“We are eager to perform our element in slowing down the price of speedy trend,” she reported. “SwishTT is practical for the two the consumer and vendor and it offers an quick way to contribute in the direction of lowering the (industry’s) carbon footprint.”

The sisters arrived across the strategy when they had been both finding out in the US.

“We made use of identical platforms to this, for obtaining and selling outfits, and observed a will need for this kind of a system in Trinidad. People often invest in apparel, in stores and online, and they finish up with a large amount of stuff they you should not use far more than the moment or 2 times,” explained Emma.

The sisters come across they get the job done properly jointly, complementing just about every other’s strengths. Renee focuses on the logistics and preparing, as effectively as the coding and customisation of the internet site, though Emma produces most of the written content for its electronic internet marketing and social media. They had a developer create the fundamental operation of the web site, but they now cope with the edits and fixes, getting full manage of its back again conclude.

“We’ve gotten genuinely encouraging responses from both sides (customers and sellers),” Emma explained. “We’ve been explained to that the providing system is incredibly uncomplicated, uncomplicated and organised. In phrases of the buyers, many welcomed the strategy and expressed enjoyment to make far more purchases on the site.”

In conditions of SwishTT’s following measures, the founders hope to include things like classes for males, babies and youngsters extremely before long.