Dubai: Fancy designer dresses for your little ones but don’t know where to go? Worried that you have to pay an arm and a leg for them when they will be outgrown in no time?
Well, the Mini Exchange could just be the place for you.
The first ‘online outlet mall’ of its kind, this kids’ fashion destination has found many takers as it allows parents to sell their children’s outgrown clothes, all with a huge cost advantage.
Launched by Dubai-based British entrepreneur Sarah Appleton in January, Mini Exchange stocks 160 top brands of clothing besides accessories and school uniforms.
“We have everything from Gap pyjamas to Dior dresses. We have tied up with a premium multi-brand boutique besides 20 other big brands to offer their largely end of line products on our platform. In addition, we offer pre-used but as-good-as-new clothes that parents want to sell when their kids outgrow them,” said the 27-year-old Appleton.
According to her, the shopping experience has been designed to be hassle-free. All that the buyer needs to do is browse through the clothes at the click of a few buttons, make the purchase online and provide an address for delivery. The stuff comes to the doorstep within 24 hours.
The process for an individual seller is a tad longer. “The seller has to create a profile and include details like the original retail price of the item with an address from where it can be collected. Our team then picks up the clothes, assesses their condition and fixes the sale price. Once the seller agrees to the price, we put it up for sale with images taken by a professional photographer.”
Killer deal
A former banker, Appleton said the price is the real clincher as clothes on Mini Exchange cost 30-80 per cent less than what they do in the regular market. “There’s no extra charge for collection, delivery or photography,” she said, adding that 50 per cent of the sale price goes to the exchange.
Mini Exchange stocks fashions for children from newborn to 12 years old. Parents can search for the clothes, 80 per cent of which are new, by category, size, brand or colour. There are even heads like ‘under Dh100 items’.
Appleton said Mini Exchange had 500 items when it started out. Now it has over 5,000. The popularity of the site has motivated Appleton to go global. “We get many buyers and sellers from outside the UAE, so we’ve started shipping clothes internationally for orders over Dh250.”
There’s also a charity angle.
Appleton said parents who wish to support local community causes can also use Mini Exchange. “Those who want to support a good cause can contact us. We sell the clothes and give the profits to their chosen cause – START, Little Wings Foundation and Action Care – all of which support children in the region."
