The thrift wear and materials business is one of the viable means of earning a decent living and survival as the spike in unemployment keeps soaring presently in the country.
The second-hand baby materials on sale by these vendors could be either second-hand or all-brand-new bargain children’s wear, bags, bed, trolley and so on, of which bulk of them comes from major departmental stores in the UK, Europe, or the US.
It could be a mix of clothing like children’s tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, shorts, and sets from assorted brands, bags, toys, shoes and so on.
It is advised that individuals, who are new entrants into the business to pool resources together and purchase baby materials and when they are sold, they can plough back profits or add to it, and expand the business.
Speaking with a second-hand baby materials vendor, John Nelson, stated that, for second-hand enthusiasts, thrifting and reselling is a big business that should not be underestimated in the line of small businesses.
He said, “I buy all types of clothes from the market and I sell them but after noticing the demand for second-hand baby materials, I moved heavily into it. Though, I still sell other materials, but I try to let the percentage of baby materials to be higher due to the high demands from my clients that I resell to outside Lagos “
“People have grown financially from this business, I know a lot of sellers who are living in their own houses, bought cars, and send their kids to the best schools, and those who have graduates that this business was used to fund their education. This is a lucrative business for anyone patient, diligent, and ready to do the work,”he stated.
Nelson stated that, aside from selling the baby wear and other materials as a wholesaler, his target market includes; maternity hospitals, as pregnant women and mothers go to the clinic for check-ups, they would easily check what they can get for their babies. He said, these would be mothers and new mothers are always on the lookout to pick something for their babies.
For him, operating this type of business has made him an employer of labour, as he pays seven other persons who work with him to take orders online, package, and sometimes hand deliver the customer’s goods if need be. As he enthused that, baby wears thrifting and reselling is a booming business.
While further revealing that the selling of Bales/Bundles are open every Monday and Friday and quality ones are sorted out as early as possible.
Parts of what to consider before investing include;
Start-up capital: Between N100,000 and N150,000, one can kickstart the business. However, anyone interested in veering into this business can pool resources together with other parties to purchase these materials and share equally amongst themselves.
Lucrativity: It is a highly lucrative business in which profit is guaranteed in most cases. Before selling the baby wear and materials, the prices are set for high-end designer labels to the less heralded ones. The quality of the materials also helps in factoring in the prices of the wear.
To this, with diligence, perseverance, a friendly customer relationship with the buyer, and the ability to bargain, an investment of N100,000 could yield a profit of between N50,000 or double the amount invested depending on the quality of materials and the seller’s drive.
