5 Easy Steps to Buying African Fashion Online

It seems there are several African fashion marketplaces and retailers cropping up online, capitalizing on the market opportunity that has presented itself since the African Diaspora wants to connect with their heritage through clothing. An exploratory study of the U.S. consumers of African fashion reveals that majority of the consumers of African fashion are Black, majority of which are African American and African immigrant buyers. The reasons for buying vary but it is certain that when making a purchase, they usually consider their love for the vibrancy of the designs, a desire to support artisans who are producing the goods on the continent and product quality. Despite this, it is still not easy to sell African fashion on the internet as there are many challenges to penetrating foreign markets. Plus, sustaining a solid online platform takes a lot of time, money and effort. Consumers on the other hand are looking for brands who align with their values and those they can trust enough to buy from. If you are not sure how to navigate the various African fashion marketplaces out there, here are five important things to keep in mind when shopping online.

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Find a trustworthy African fashion marketplace

A marketplace indicates that there is one online platform where various sellers congregate in order to retail their wares. At the moment, there are a number of marketplaces for African fashion online such as Afrikrea with many more cropping up all over the internet. Once you find a marketplace that you trust, half the work is done. Whenever you come across a marketplace, you will want to make sure that their website has a solid terms of use including a shipping and return policy with secure payment gateways. Read through these items to get a sense of how the marketplace operates.  For example, Afrikrea has different sellers on their platform and thus, do not own the products themselves. Therefore they cannot offer any guarantee that you will be satisfied with your purchase because it is coming directly from the seller. However, they also have strict policies in place for ensuring quality control of the the items that are put online for purchase by sellers on the platform. It is always a good idea to read the fine print.

Research the seller and read buyer reviews

Word of mouth is still the most effective and reliable way to find out if a brand is worth your money or not. You can learn from the experiences of others in order to avoid pain and heartache. Whether you are buying from a marketplace or not, one way to be sure that you are making the right decision is to research the seller (or merchant if its not a marketplace) and read the reviews of their buyers.  Some examples of questions you will want to answer as you do the research is:

• Do they have good customer service and response times?
• What is the experience of other buyers with the product?
• How long does it take for receiving and shipping the order?

Consider the brand’s social media presence

Searching and can’t find any online reviews? Maybe they are a new brand or still up and coming. The best bet would be to check their social media presence. It is easy to tell the difference between a brand who invest in their online persona or brand image and those who do not. There are a number of things you should be looking out for as you browse through their pages and that is both authenticity and brand personality. According to statistics report by Hubspot, 86% of consumers prefer an authentic and honest brand on social networks. (Smart Insights, 2017). Glossy, high definition pictures are not always a marker of quality but it is easier to buy from a brand who presents their products in an attractive way. Most importantly, see if you are able to spot pictures of other customers wearing the brand on their page or interacting with their products. Check closely to discover if these experiences are realistic enough.

Check for the overall quality of the product

It is truly difficult to tell the quality of a product just by looking at it online but generally-speaking, pictures don’t lie. Look at the product from different angles and be sure that exactly what you see if what you are going to receive. Think about how the product looks and how that resonates with you. Do you feel excited just analyzing the pictures? Do you feel well informed about the product from the description? Can you conceptualize what it would look and feel like in real life? When in doubt, send an email to the seller and ask more clarifying questions about things like the size, colour, fabric and any other thing that might not be immediately obvious from the product description. While it is worthwhile to keep in mind that most African fashion is handcrafted, resist the urge to feel that you are being finicky. African brands are aiming for product quality that can complete anywhere in the world. Therefore, these are very important things you should take in consideration to ensure you will be a very happy shopper. The last thing you want to do is buy something and suddenly get buyer’s remorse later.

Beware of very expensive shipping costs

African fashion is quite unique and not easy to find (for now) in the regular mall or downtown boutique here in North America. Depending on where the seller is located in comparison to you, whether on the African continent or elsewhere, you might have to pay for the shipping costs of the product you are buying. It might also be a good idea to buy from a seller operating closest to you. Make sure you know where the seller is located. You can find this out by looking to see if there is an actual address on their website. Otherwise, the address should be located on the order purchase form or receipt. You might find the extra shipping costs to be expensive but I believe it is worth it since you will be getting a one-of-a-kind item. Bear in mind that some sellers require the customer to pay the custom duties and tax costs as well but this can be normal if you are buying from outside your country. This is why you have to be clear on everything involved with your purchase from the very beginning. Avoid impulse buying. It takes good research and planning in order to be truly happy with your purchase. Once you have navigated the process successfully and have found sellers you trust, they can be your go-to brands.

African fashion or not, what is your proven process for online shopping?

Jamila Kyari

I’m a seasoned communications and marketing consultant with a penchant for all things stylish and chic. Follow me on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates on industry trends and much more!

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