Fashion Reseller Banananina Joins E-Commerce Race

Local reseller of authentic branded fashion items Banananina has launched an e-commerce website to reach customers outside the capital city.

The company, which started its business in 2009 through Multiply, offers various items, from bags and shoes to accessories and beauty products. The new website will also provide male products for the first time.

Founder Fitri Maya Safira said the new sales channel was expected to increase daily transactions from 30 items to 70 items. "Offline sales are not sufficient due to limited options for buyers. Hopefully, the simplicity of purchasing online will attract more people," she was recently quoted.

Banananina claims its luxury goods all have original guarantee, since they were obtained from licensed-suppliers. Particularly for shoes, buyers will be given a return guarantee.

"[The original guarantee] is important to ensure the products are original, since nowadays they can look identical [to fake ones]. Sometimes I even lend a hand to check the items' originality," said Fitri, adding that the company's customers live in places as far apart as Bandung, Surabaya, Aceh, Makassar, Jayapura, Timika and Biak.

In terms of business model, Banananina will go head to head with Singapore-based online marketplace Reebonz, which has entered the Indonesian market. "We're not worried about competition; it is not unusual in any kind of business."

– Disclosure: The original article is in Indonesian and syndicated in English by The Jakarta Post