The e-commerce market in Africa is going through the roof. In the past 3 years, we’ve seen tech unicorns, logistics companies, and even fintechs enter the space. What we have not seen so much of, though, are niche-specific e-commerce players. This is where The Fashion Kingdom (TFK) has a competitive advantage. The fashion-based e-commerce startup is focused on digitising the way fashion items are bought and sold in Egypt, and now, they have raised $2.6 million in funding to scale operations.
TFK was founded in 2020, the pandemic year that saw e-commerce rise exponentially in Africa. The CEO and founder, Fadi Antaki, set out to solve the following problems in Egypt’s e-commerce fashion space: inaccurate data systems, unclear photography, inaccurate size charts, complicated returns processes, and inefficient customer support. In their latest press release, Antaki claims that they are positioned perfectly to become the best choice for fashion shoppers in Egypt, and investors seem to think so too.
TFK’s marketplace aggregates a wide range of products—clothes, accessories, beauty products, etc— that meets the needs of Egypt’s diverse demographics. Also, the startup takes a step further to provide an omnichannel experience that allows customers to seamlessly shop and exchange fashion products when needed.
“We established the company pre-COVID. And at the time, we saw a big gap or maybe a lack of focus on a place dedicated to selling fashion products, recommendations for what to wear, quick deliveries, and different payment methods. There wasn’t anyone focused on this, especially in fashion,” Antaki.
One hundred and fifty thousand Egyptians have, by their monthly patronage, validated TFK’s business model. There are presently more than 200 merchants on the e-commerce platform, with merchants growing at a monthly average of 12.5%. Notably, TFK has 40% of its sales from returning customers, an above-average rate by industry standards.
Perhaps, TFK’s repeat rate stems from its devotion to customer experience. The startup provides secondary services to its users in several ways. One of such services is a virtual fitting room that helps brands to understand customers and their needs more effectively. Armed with important details like customers’ sizes and preferences, the brands can then recommend outfits for different occasions. However, this virtual fitting room feature is yet to be active on the e-commerce platform.
TFK’s “360-degree value proposition” for brands also involves covering operations, co-marketing, and digital content creation services.