Second hand cloths are very popular in many African
countries. This is because of the hash economic realities.
Low wages including the high cost of new cloths have
opened a thriving second hand market. The cloths are usually imported from
Europe, America and china.
The business is big and millions of tons are sold in
Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. The mitumba business is practicable full time or part
time depending on the investor’s business plan.
It is ideal for small scale trade and only requires a
moderate amount of investment. You don’t even need a store to sell used cloths.
In some countries such imports are banned. However
smuggling thrives because of the high demand. Second hand cloths are not the
only items found in such markets. You have second hand utensils, bags, shoes
and accessories.
The business is a bulk related and investors bring in the
wears or buys from importers. The best way to establish the business is to
setup a store in a major second hand market.
Usually the small stores are shared to reduce costs and
such markets operate only on designated days. The wholesaler then sells to a
retailer who in turn sells to directly to customers.
However some resourceful individuals find their way to
such markets to buy directly from wholesalers. One top used items market in
Kenya is Gikombe market.
Top
Used Cloths Export Countries
Used cloths are shipped in bales from theses top
countries. Top exporters of used cloths are Germany, United States of America
and China.
Others are United Kingdom, Australia Europe and Dubai. It
is a huge revenue earner for both import and export destinations.
How
they are Packages
There are unregulated standards of packaging. The basic
package is 45kgs to 55Kgs bundles of bale.
The prices vary depending of country of origin, weight
and size. The grade of the used clots is also taken into consideration.
Importers of used cloths prefer buying from china because they are cheaper.
Types
of Bales
The types of bales fall into 6 categories. You have the
jackets, shirts and jeans.
Others are chiffon tops, children cloths and trench coats.
The price range per bale is Ksh 15,000 to 25, 000. Wholesaler’s have first
choice of cloths before the retailers get in on the action.
- Women’s Underwear
- Children’s Cloths
- Shirts
- Skirts
- Leather Jackets
- Jeans
- Trench Coats Other Jackets
- T-Shirts
- importing used clothing
- start sewing alteration service
- cloths store business
Tailors
Interesting
aspects of the used cloths market are the tailors. Some cloths are relatively
new and discarded due to defects. The tailors repair defects, adjust sizes, adds
buttons and stitches. They make steady income providing this service.
Retailers
Some
retailers make huge earnings from the business. They clean them up, iron and
sell in their shops and boutiques. The profit margin is high however the level
of patronage depends on the location and marketing.
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