Chicwear.com.my: Interview by The Sunday Star

Press:

The Sunday Star

SUNDAY STAR, 11 FEBRUARY 2007

By K. S. Usha Devi

An accountant-turned-businessman, Jerad Solomon, 33, raised eyebrows when he switched careers from crunching numbers to selling lingerie. For a man to be involved in a business dealing with intimate women's wear it certainly was a surprise to his friends and acquaintances. "Well, most people were surprised when I told them," he confesses.

But to the people that mattered, such as his parents and wife, Hemala, there was positive feedback.

"The first time I told Hemala, she went quiet for a bit and then she told me to go ahead," he says.

"And that was a big motivation to start the business."

So why did he choose to go into the lingerie business?

While looking up business opportunities on the Internet, he says, he realised that there was a market for lingerie in Malaysia, especially selling online. This was precisely what he was looking for - an online business that would do away with the hassle of looking for a shop lot in a suitable location, hiring staff and handling other aspects of running a conventional business.

"People here still like to buy their intimate wear privately rather than in shops," he says. And Internet buying is as private as you can get since the customer and retailer do not meet face to face.

Solomon quit his job as a finance manager in a company sometime in the middle of 2005 and did freelance consulting work while building up his knowledge on the lingerie trade as well as in setting up and maintaining a website. It has now been six months since the lingerie business, when he set up with two partners, www.chicwear.com.my came online.

Getting up close and personal with women's underwear was also another educational process for him.

"I had to learn the jargon used for lingerie designs and also material used for the products," he explains, admitting that he had never bought lingerie for Hemala before setting up the business.

"In retrospect, maybe I should have, but it didn't occur to me at the time," he says tongue-in-cheek.

But all that has changed, of course. Hemala likes the designs she sees on the website and also the sample items that her husband has. "It's value for money," she says.

"Now, I buy it for her," says the boyish-looking Solomon with a laugh.

And this is also one of the reasons why he chose to go into the lingerie business. He wants to encourage both men and women to view lingerie as something both can enjoy. As it stands now, his customer base is made up of an equal number of men and women.

"For the men, it makes wonderful gifts for their loved ones while women love the feel of pretty, silky and soft material on their skin," he says.

The business, Solomon says, has been encouraging especially during Christmas last year. Now, with Valentine's Day around the corner, he is offering items on discount in the "Hot Pick" selection of the website. Furthermore, the items purchased will be gift-wrapped at a cost of only RM1. The products are delivered by courier service and would arrive within one or two days at any destination in Malaysia.

"We try to send as quickly as possible, and so far we have not received any complaints from customers," he says.

The price starts from RM129, with the silk satin pieces costing a little more than the polyester satin ones. Most of the lingerie is manufactured in Europe and America and come in various designs such as baby-doll, nightdress, dressing robe and teddies. The brand names and their make are also listed on the website, which is elegant and pleasing to the eye.

"My partners and I wanted to make sure that we do not give the wrong idea with the website, hence the toned down look," says Solomon.

As for the challenges of running an online business, he says the biggest issue is one of trust between the customer and the retailer. This is because many people pay for their goods by credit card and are wary of fraud.

"But they do not realise that the onus will be on the retailer to bear the costs if that happens," Solomon explains.

On his plans for the future, Solomon wants to maintain a strong customer base and let the business run on its own. They have had a number of repeat customers, which augus well for the business.

"We want people to remember the name of the company when they think of buying lingerie on the website," he says.

And does he have any regrets in his career change?

"No, none at all. I'm happy trying something new. It is an interesting challenge," he replies.

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