Malaysians love shopping and shopping. But most of all, we love discounts. In pre-pandemic times, we may have even done our best to visit Genting Highland Premium Outlets and Johor Premium Outlets just to get cheaper branded items.
Inspired by this demand he noticed on the premises, Kyle and 3 of his longtime friends set out to create a market that replicates these so-called premium outlets. QuickBuy, which was launched in May 2021.
The rubbish (almost) of one man is the treasure of another man
“During the pandemic, I was exploring different ways to stay afloat and one of the ideas that came up was how to save usable products that are close to the expiration date (less than 6 months),” Kyle shared his time of light bulb with Vulcan Publication.
“Then I realized that with the economy so bad because of COVID-19, there may be a way to get these unwanted goods to consumers who may want them at a huge discount.” Kyle explored this idea and also included discount clothing, inspired by the premium outlet concept.
Therefore, Kyle and his friends (who came from supply chain, sales and marketing backgrounds) set out to each invest € 15 RMK in this idea. Kyle is the only one who works at CepatBeli full time, while the others come in from time to time to help when needed.
Incorporation providers took a direct approach with the help of a “thick face,” Kyle said. “I would say that, in the first place, it was a combination of appropriate and concise explanations about what we can offer them. We want them to understand that there is no loss on their part to work with us. “
By directly incorporating brand owners and manufacturers, they eliminate intermediaries or resellers, which helps CepatBeli reduce the costs of what they sell.
Facilitate the hassle of e-commerce for merchants
Instead, you can find some highlights brands with Aik Cheong, DC Comics, Volkswagen, etc. The type of products they sell include fashion, babies and toys, electronics and accessories and dried foods.
The team provides these merchants with free storage, collection and delivery spaces, order fulfillment and even graphic design services as they want them to experience a complete and hassle-free solution. To earn revenue, they take a small percentage of the sales that merchants generate.
As they are a new team with no background in computer science and e-commerce, they sought the guidance of MDEC through talks, meetings and entrepreneurship classes such as Electronic commerce.
It was also through MDEC that Kyle and his team met their angel investor who pointed out the weaknesses of their business plan and taught them how to get the right product on the market and focus on their reach in the market. .
Convince marketers and users that they are legitimate
As a new business, it was difficult to convince brands to trust their site, which is why they offered the aforementioned services without any hassle to encourage brands to join.
However, it was more difficult to convince users that the products and brands on your site were genuine. “Many consumers had concerns about the authenticity of the products, as they were discounted up to 70%,” Kyle explained.
Therefore, they are currently addressing these concerns through brand awareness campaigns and Facebook Live events, where they offer significant discounts to first-time customers in hopes of growing positive reviews. By now, they see that they are buying a lot of home products instead.
“Malaysians are very price sensitive and are always looking for the cheapest deals. Campaigns with free shipping in excess of a certain amount always attract consumers who are far from being reached, ”Kyle said, adding that they implemented this strategy when they realized it.
Initially, they operated from Kyle’s house, now they have a warehouse in Shah Alam in order to house his growing park.
Earning enough to return during the pandemic
“One of our big mistakes in the beginning was trying to save costs on our initial web development, and that meant we had to rebuild the website from scratch when users increased and the platform couldn’t keep up with requests,” he recalled. Kyle.
But Kyle trimmed his team because his first website was also a pilot with no market validation, so they didn’t dare invest more to get a better website.
Fortunately, the general pandemic did not affect them too much, as they are an e-commerce business, which we have generally seen thrive in times like these.
Although Kyle declined to comment on his revenue growth, he proudly shared that the team was able to do a CSR campaign to return to the community during the second MCO. They handed out masks, easy-to-cook meals and daily essentials to vendors who passed by the Centrepoint Bandar Utama.
“We are currently doing another round of CSR campaigns to provide care packages to the white flag program and charities. We are working closely with the council to determine the location of the necessary homes and will send them directly to their doors,” said Kyle. His ability to return was also what he defined as the most proud moment to date.
Thanks to their connections to companies and MDEC events, they can purchase products from major brands and delegate them to those who need them. “Because times are tough during the pandemic, providing reliable products is in itself a great deal,” Kyle concluded.
- You can learn more about CepatBeli here.
- You can read more articles on e-commerce that we have written here.
Featured Image Credit: Kyle Keah, co-founder of CepatBeli
