General

How To Start An Online Shoe Store In Nigeria

Shoes are one thing that people are always going to need; aside from being a fashion statement they actually help people get around which makes them a necessity. Starting an online shoe store in Nigeria is a smart entrepreneurial move, it is banking on Nigerians love for looking good, and profiting off a demand that will always be there.

Furthermore, it is not even that difficult to set up an online shoe store; as long as you have knowledge of good shoes, and know what styles are currently in fashion, it is quite possible to establish yourself as a go to person for anything shoes.

The best part of it is that you do not need any special gadgets or equipment; you already have a phone or computer, and those are good enough to start.

How To Start An Online Shoe Store In Nigeria

Identify A Niche

Shoes are not shoes; in order to be successful in this business one has to select a particular niche; such as women’s shoes, men’s shoes, casual shoes, office shoes, sneakers and so on. The choice of shoes you sell may depend on what you find easiest to sell, or what you feel you know about most.

There is nothing stopping you from selling casual, official, and sneakers, and even sandals; although it is usually best to concentrate on one particular gender. Contrary to what one might expect; it is not necessary to concentrate on your gender when starting an online shoe store.

All over Nigeria you can find men selling women’s shoes, and women selling men’s shoes. It is all about what you find easiest to sell.

Get Your Stock

There are so many different types of shoes in the Nigerian market; while some are sourced from abroad; others are made here in Nigeria. You can get quality shoes in large quantities in Lagos and Aba among other cities. You just have to go to the wholesale dealers in Idumota, or Tradefair in Lagos, or Aba Market in Abia State to source for the shoes.

Dealers in the above mentioned places are eager to build relationships with retailers, and they will happily give you their business cards, hoping to see you again in a short time.

Those with a taste for luxury can source their shoes from Europe like Italy, Britain, and Spain; in which case they may need to travel frequently. Some people bring in shoes from Dubai which is an international hub of commerce. However, these shoes are going to be very expensive; not all Nigerians can afford to buy these.

Some work with Chinese suppliers who ship the products on demand. The products are beautiful and quite cheap, although they may not be familiar brand names. This type of business model is called Dropshipping. Here is how to Do Dropshipping   

Choose Your Platform

Basically you can start with your social media platforms, and then gradually build your own website which will help you to build a bigger identity. Right now you probably have accounts with the popular social media platforms such as facebook, twitter, whatsapp and so on.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit you should have already identified these social media platforms as potential sources where sales can come from.

In order to sell your wares you need to promote them. This includes taking pictures of the shoes you have in stock. There is nothing wrong in first investing in a good phone that has very good cameras; iPhone, Samsung, Vivo and Huawei usually come with very powerful cameras that can bring out the colours and designs on the shoes you want to sell.

Another trick is to place the shoes on glass before snapping pictures of them. The glass adds extra beauty to the shoes; reflecting light from all around the room, and also creating a mirror effect which is just great for promotional pictures.

There is nothing wrong with asking your friends and family to share your posts so that more eyes can see the products you are selling. It is also a good idea to use hashtags so that your posts can last longer on the internet.

Make Sales

This is where your interest should be; because you did not start the online shoe store just for fun, but to make sales. A common practice among people doing business on social media is to say “DM for price.” That shows a lack of transparency; as if you are trying to cheat your customers, or as if you have different prices for different people.

To avoid that you can do as all big sellers do; state the price with the picture of the product. That way, you can save a lot of time and energy because then anybody who contacts you already knows the price, and you know he is serious about making the purchase. Then you can give them the bank account details to make payment.

Please make sure that the money has been paid before sending the shoes to the buyer. There are so many small delivery companies that you can work with; they will take the shoes to the doorsteps of the buyers, and many of them do same day delivery.

It is up to you to select a good delivery company that you can work with, out of the thousands operating in major cities across the country.

Summary

Starting an online shoe store in Nigeria is not difficult; however it is a lot easier for people to whom selling comes naturally. Thankfully there is a rather good shoemaking industry in Nigeria; and so one only has to find good makers to buy stock from in large quantities.

It is the sneakers and “Converse” or ‘Canvass’ that will have to be sourced from abroad, and every seller has to choose to sell either brand new or used ones depending on the strength of his market.

One can buy from Chinese suppliers, or buy higher quality shoes from Europe which will cost a lot more, and will be for a higher class of people.

What's your reaction?

Excited
1
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0

You may also like

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published.

More in:General