Kids O鈥檆lock is a peer-to-peer marketplace for modern families and child-carers, created to streamline the way parents shop by providing a circular-economy solution around children鈥檚 clothing. The platform鈥檚 goal is to allow parents a safe zone to buy and sell clothing amongst themselves, for babies from birth up to the age of 10.
Kids O鈥檆lock features some well-known brands such as Bonpoint, Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini and The Animal Observatory, as well as high-street pieces from Zara, Petit Bateau, Jacadi and more. As a former buyer, I a, supply obsessed and it is important for me to have a true representation of what the kidswear market is really like; made up of essential staples as well as occasional, stand-out pieces. The business model is simple 鈥� you need to sign up and list your items that the community can purchase directly from you.
We also offer a Golden Kids Membership service for time-poor parents; for just 拢10/a month, we will arrange to pick up your pieces, photograph & upload them to your profile and manage any sales. Alongside kid鈥檚 fashion, users can also sell toys, prams and toiletries.
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How did you come up with the idea for the company?
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I had been a fashion buyer for 10 years when I had my first son, Albert. I have been lucky to have been part of very strong companies that would always push the retail concept a bit further (Moda Operandi, Style.com, Net a Porter), so after a deep dive into the children鈥檚 clothing market, I realised the potential and decided to use my skill-set and 10 years of buying experience in the childrenswear market.
A baby will wear approx. 200 pieces of clothing in their first few years, yet 80% of a child鈥檚 wardrobe is only worn a few handful of times as they go through multiple sizes. It is arguably the sector that accounts for the largest amount of clothing and textile waste, a problem I am hoping to provide a sustainable solution to. When I had my son and couldn鈥檛 find any online sites offering exactly what I wanted, I decided to create my own.
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What advice would you give to other aspiring female entrepreneurs?
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There are so many pieces of advice I鈥檇 love to share, especially as I myself have grown to love connecting with entrepreneurs/ founders/creatives since starting my journey 鈥� being a solo founder can be terribly lonely, and impostor syndrome is real!
My first piece of advice would be to reach out to people around you (or even slightly remote to your social circle) to advise/ exchange/ help 鈥� this is one of the greatest lessons I have learnt. Pitch to everyone. Believing in your project is another very important piece of advice I once received, and now pass on.
No one will believe in it more than you do. Lastly, seek for other people鈥檚 feedback to assist your businesses growth. And on the subject of feedback, be open, be curious and seek further. A simple message from a customer can go a long way.
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What can we hope to see from Kids O鈥檆lock in the future?
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Kids O鈥檆lock is aimed to become the destination for modern families. We are also working on a rental component which we hope to launch soon, depending on the pandemic situation. We are working on building a robust supply strategy to ensure we constantly obtain the stock needed for parents to really find what they are looking for.
The pre-loved ecosystem has been growing and moving very rapidly over the course of the years, but only a few players will remain. It is about being flexible, fast, and as long as Kids O鈥機lock is concerned, constantly questioning and perfecting our product. Another long-term plan of ours is to continue partnering with specific charities in London and Paris to help make a difference.
Through market research, we realised a lot of parents didn鈥檛 know what to do with their outgrown kid鈥檚 clothing when not selling pieces, so we are hoping to create a direct hub for all of these parents, and link them to relevant charities that are close to our hearts.
