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Venturing into mitumba shoes business
Rank: Veteran Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,982 Location: matano manne
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Could someone with experience in this field kindly help me learn the ropes of this trade. I'm told it is a secretive niche but I have sources that seem very promisng and marketing agents (brokers) to do the spade work once the container lands. Advice please.
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 3/26/2012 Posts: 1,182
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@Rahatupu, Which country will your shipments be from? Are they men , ladies, children or mixed shoes? What grade? If you have source and brokers, what exact advice are you looking for?
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,982 Location: matano manne
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mkeiyd wrote:@Rahatupu, Which country will your shipments be from? Are they men , ladies, children or mixed shoes? What grade? If you have source and brokers, what exact advice are you looking for? @Mkeiyd, thanks. 1. I am contemplating importing from Korea, Belgium or USA depending on profitability. From where is quality highest? 2. I am seeking advise on which category of shoes move faster and fetch better margins. Mixed shoes look to be the better option. (Your opinion?) 3. I am seeking all info there is for starters, a) Buying prices CIF to Mombasa in USD as well as terms of payment. b) Margin differential from different countries/suppliers. c) reliability of source/suppliers are there any who are reknown in quality and reliability? d)Marketing issues with brokers, their reliability. e) How best to enter the market (small small) or full throttle?
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 3/26/2012 Posts: 1,182
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Rahatupu wrote:mkeiyd wrote:@Rahatupu, Which country will your shipments be from? Are they men , ladies, children or mixed shoes? What grade? If you have source and brokers, what exact advice are you looking for? @Mkeiyd, thanks. 1. I am contemplating importing from Korea, Belgium or USA depending on profitability. From where is quality highest? Korean shoes are mostly not leather,their quality is the lowest. But you are after margins,not quality.2. I am seeking advise on which category of shoes move faster and fetch better margins. Mixed shoes look to be the better option. (Your opinion?) Men and children shoes move faster than mixed with better margins, avoid ladies.3. I am seeking all info there is for starters, a) Buying prices CIF to Mombasa in USD as well as terms of payment. That depends on the FOB and port of origin,your sources should help you on that.The first shipment,have your eyes there.b) Margin differential from different countries/suppliers. Canada gives the best margins,then US and Germany. Throw everybody else after the first 3.c) reliability of source/suppliers are there any who are reknown in quality and reliability? It will be hard to get them from a reknowned supplier,not unless you have the deepest pockets around or the supplier is your rela.d)Marketing issues with brokers, their reliability. That's where you need to spend more time. Are those brokers people well known to you? Do you have any experience at all?e) How best to enter the market (small small) or full throttle? Pole pole ndio mwendo. Try with a single shipment, a 20 or a 40 shld get you started.
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 1,668 Location: nairobi
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Have you checked with Ethiopia? They have very high quality leather shoes selling very cheaply. Plus you can simply cross them through the border and evade alot of shipping/port costs if you know what i mean... As Iron Sharpens Iron, So one Man Sharpens Another.
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,982 Location: matano manne
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mkeiyd wrote:Rahatupu wrote:mkeiyd wrote:@Rahatupu, Which country will your shipments be from? Are they men , ladies, children or mixed shoes? What grade? If you have source and brokers, what exact advice are you looking for? @Mkeiyd, thanks. 1. I am contemplating importing from Korea, Belgium or USA depending on profitability. From where is quality highest? Korean shoes are mostly not leather,their quality is the lowest. But you are after margins,not quality.2. I am seeking advise on which category of shoes move faster and fetch better margins. Mixed shoes look to be the better option. (Your opinion?) Men and children shoes move faster than mixed with better margins, avoid ladies.3. I am seeking all info there is for starters, a) Buying prices CIF to Mombasa in USD as well as terms of payment. That depends on the FOB and port of origin,your sources should help you on that.The first shipment,have your eyes there.b) Margin differential from different countries/suppliers. Canada gives the best margins,then US and Germany. Throw everybody else after the first 3.c) reliability of source/suppliers are there any who are reknown in quality and reliability? It will be hard to get them from a reknowned supplier,not unless you have the deepest pockets around or the supplier is your rela.d)Marketing issues with brokers, their reliability. That's where you need to spend more time. Are those brokers people well known to you? Do you have any experience at all?e) How best to enter the market (small small) or full throttle? Pole pole ndio mwendo. Try with a single shipment, a 20 or a 40 shld get you started. Thanks Mkeied, A4arch learning nayo! Any sources/suppliers that I can talk to? Can online searches yield desired results?
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 1,668 Location: nairobi
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@rahatupu.. here is a list of major Ethiopian shoe manufacturers http://www.elia.org.et/e...amp;id=19&Itemid=16
http://www.bdlive.co.za/...e-shoemaker-to-the-worldAs Iron Sharpens Iron, So one Man Sharpens Another.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 7/26/2007 Posts: 6,514
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What about ladies shoes? Specifically high heels? Business opportunities are like buses,there's always another one coming
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/1/2010 Posts: 272 Location: Nairobi
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mkeiyd wrote:Rahatupu wrote:mkeiyd wrote:@Rahatupu, Which country will your shipments be from? Are they men , ladies, children or mixed shoes? What grade? If you have source and brokers, what exact advice are you looking for? 2. I am seeking advise on which category of shoes move faster and fetch better margins. Mixed shoes look to be the better option. (Your opinion?) Men and children shoes move faster than mixed with better margins, avoid ladies. Interesting...and all along I thought ladies' shoes were the ultimate rich vein of gold. Care to elaborate further @mkeiyd? The harder you work, the luckier you get
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Rank: Elder Joined: 12/17/2009 Posts: 3,583 Location: Kenya
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Rahatupu wrote:
Could someone with experience in this field kindly help me learn the ropes of this trade. I'm told it is a secretive niche but I have sources that seem very promisng and marketing agents (brokers) to do the spade work once the container lands. Advice please.
there is nothing secretive or niche about the mitumba trade, just that your sources will cheat you about the quality you are getting and your brokers will cheat you out of the few good quality bales that you manage to get. my advice unless you want to blow away your 5+ m, visit your sources and if possible be there or have someone when the container is being loaded and start selling them before the container lands, plus have a secure well monitored unloading place locally - the brokers will switch the good bales with bad ones, or open up the bales rendering them useless when it comes to sell. all the best, if you get it right its a gold mine
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 1,982 Location: matano manne
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Many thanks. Just starting the due diligence process maybe upton Sept, if all progreses we'll. Will get back with feedback as we'll as more queries when they arise.
@A4arch, how good is the Ethiopia new shoes connection esp on returns as we'll as effort required for new venture? Been we'll past Moyale night a few pairs but never thought of it in a major business way.
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/27/2014 Posts: 560 Location: Eastlando
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Rahatupu wrote:Many thanks. Just starting the due diligence process maybe upton Sept, if all progreses we'll. Will get back with feedback as we'll as more queries when they arise.
@A4arch, how good is the Ethiopia new shoes connection esp on returns as we'll as effort required for new venture? Been we'll past Moyale night a few pairs but never thought of it in a major business way. @ Rahatupu, did you ever manage to start this Business? I can source for quality shoes from Germany, my problem is the connection in Gikomba. How good are you in this?. I can sort you out on quality and reliability, and i hope you can sort me out when the goods arrive in Kenya. Symbiosis kind of relationship
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 5/25/2011 Posts: 88
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Fullykenyan wrote:Rahatupu wrote:Many thanks. Just starting the due diligence process maybe upton Sept, if all progreses we'll. Will get back with feedback as we'll as more queries when they arise.
@A4arch, how good is the Ethiopia new shoes connection esp on returns as we'll as effort required for new venture? Been we'll past Moyale night a few pairs but never thought of it in a major business way. @ Rahatupu, did you ever manage to start this Business? I can source for quality shoes from Germany, my problem is the connection in Gikomba. How good are you in this?. I can sort you out on quality and reliability, and i hope you can sort me out when the goods arrive in Kenya. Symbiosis kind of relationship @FullyKenyan, hit me on hnjenga@gmail.com. Am in gikosh but we buy from china guys importing locally. Lets discuss and see if we can hack something.
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/27/2014 Posts: 560 Location: Eastlando
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hobbit wrote:Fullykenyan wrote:Rahatupu wrote:Many thanks. Just starting the due diligence process maybe upton Sept, if all progreses we'll. Will get back with feedback as we'll as more queries when they arise.
@A4arch, how good is the Ethiopia new shoes connection esp on returns as we'll as effort required for new venture? Been we'll past Moyale night a few pairs but never thought of it in a major business way. @ Rahatupu, did you ever manage to start this Business? I can source for quality shoes from Germany, my problem is the connection in Gikomba. How good are you in this?. I can sort you out on quality and reliability, and i hope you can sort me out when the goods arrive in Kenya. Symbiosis kind of relationship @FullyKenyan, hit me on hnjenga@gmail.com. Am in gikosh but we buy from china guys importing locally. Lets discuss and see if we can hack something. Okay, sending you an email in Minute..
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Rank: Hello Joined: 9/20/2018 Posts: 2 Location: united kingdom
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it will be better if you start amazon fba selling
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