While luxury global fashion labels are seeing India as a potential market, another section of the Indian retail chain is grabbing headlines: the country has emerged as the world's largest importer of used clothing and textiles.
Recently, I got a chance to interview Mr. Praveen Mahajan, an importer of Second hand clothing, based in Delhi. He started his business in 1997. He mentions that the concept of second hand clothing has been going on since a very long time.
Source: Vanshika Mahajan
I asked him a few questions about his business, to gather some knowledge about the same.
Q1) When did you start your business and what inspired you?
Praveen: I started my business of used clothing back in 1997. I remember i had just moved to delhi and was figuring out my business options. I visited Azad Market, New Delhi with a friend of mine and that's when i found out about the concept of used clothing. I understood that there was a huge scope of a successful business in this line. I learned about this concept from my brand and a few months later i started P.M Enterprises in Azad Market, New Delhi.
Q2) Where do you usually import from and why?
Praveen: I usually import from countries like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and USA. These countries are always up to date with the latest trends and fashion and the business of used clothing is massive in these countries.
Q3) Where do you sell your stuff?
Praveen: We are wholesale sellers and i usually sell my stuff in bulk to the shopkeepers in the North-East of India, in states like shillong, guwahati, Nagaland, Mizoram, etc. We also sell to the local vendors of street markets like Sarojini Nagar and Kamla Nagar in Delhi. But slowly and gradually we are planning to sell our stuff all over India.
Q4) What kind of stuff do you import?
Praveen: We import all kinds of garments for both men and women. Like Jeans, Jackets, Sweaters, Cardigans, dresses, shirts, etc.
Sometimes brand new stuff also comes to us from brands like Gap, Uniqlo, Juicy Couture, Zara, Hnm, Thenorthface, etc which are rejected from the brand itself because of minor faults in the garment.
Source : Vanshika Mahajan
Q5) Where do you see your business in the next 5 years?
Praveen: We aim to sell and deal all over India in the coming years and hopefully we will succeed.
Q6) Do you recommend the used clothing to our audience? If yes, Why?
Praveen: A 100% yes!
I recommend second hand clothing to everyone because it's not just affordable but also helps the environment in many ways.
Comments