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For some, it is a way of life. They breath it, eat it and consider it an art form that's essential to master. For others, it is enigmatic, uncharted territory. For others still, it is something in which to merely dabble in, flirt with maybe, but it's not the preferred method.
If you haven’t caught my drift yet, I’m talking about e-commerce, or online-shopping.
Roughly 211 million people shop in some form online in the U.S. (I don’t know about you, but my Amazon account might know me better than my best friend does). In Israel, roughly 3.9 million people shop online, with projections showing that number to increase to 5.1% in 2021. Also, interestingly enough, Fashion is the second most bought category, right after electronics and media.
With such positive numbers and growth, I was intrigued and decided to interview Israeli online shoe boutique - Shoeshu.
Sababa and the City: What made you start ShoeShu?
Shiri: My best friend and I met someone who was importing toys from China to Israel. He started talking to us about the trips, the import process and everything that is involved. To be honest, he wasn’t very smart, or a very pleasant person, so we thought to ourselves - If he can do that, why can't we?
From there the rest is history. We consulted with experts and all kinds of importers and fashion buyers, eventually deciding that the smartest and most strategic move for us was to enter the shoe market because it's the least saturated online market in Israel and also, shoes are a woman's best friend, right?
SATC: Yes, always been my motto! Where do you get new inspiration for your collections?
Shiri: My new partner (my best friend is no longer in the business) is a shoe designer. We work together before she travels to China to source and produce. Mostly, we get our inspiration from big designers about what will be "hot" the following season. We look at the fashion week articles, pictures and movies and eventually have our own take on the trend.
SATC: What challenges do you find with being an online retailer in Israel? Is the Israeli public as responsive to online shopping as Americans are?
Shiri: Unfortunately and unequivocally not. The Israeli audience is not running to put their visa online. First of all, I think they are more suspicious. What is this store? Who is the face behind the website?, etc. Also, they are not used to buy things online like Americans are - Amazon is the best example for that. Amazon made people not go to buy shampoo, or tooth paste, and make them realize the magic of the "click"- whatever you want will arrive at your doorstep. I wish the Israelis will adopt it soon. It's already starting and it is in rising trend. During the winter season,(which is not so hard here) the campaign is very clear and easy- who wants to go out to the store in the rain? Well, with online shopping, you don’t have to. I think the Israelis are slowly seeing the benefits and becoming hooked.
SATC: Do you eventually hope to open a physical store, or are you keeping it all online?
Shiri: At the end of the day, having a physical store as well as an online presence can only help. It's easier because everything will take place there- customers can come, and try on and interact with us face-to-face.
SATC: What shoe trend are you most excited about for fall?
Shiri: We recently went to a local fashion show in Tel Aviv, an amazing one. With a lot of very talented young designer's, It was fabulous! We definitely are excited about all the mid-calf booties we saw.
SATC: What does "Sababa" mean to you?
Shiri: Sababa is a way of life- like Hakuna matata. Keep everything sababa, and everything around you will be great.
Shop my ShoeShu picks:
