by Jill Geoghegan
Edinburgh vintage fashion business ‘Sister Vintage’ has just joined international online clothing giant ASOS marketplace.
Originating from their love of fashion and overflowing wardrobes, the business is very much a family affair run by sisters Laura, Emma and Sarah Turnbull with a little help from Mum.
Avid collectors of vintage fashion, the girls ran the business by selling items on eBay until the popularity of their pieces demanded a bigger platform. The Turnbull sisters seized the opportunity to expand their growing enterprise with an application to join the one of the biggest online fashion companies in the world, ASOS. With over 2 million active users in the UK alone, and boasting half-year profits that soared by 66% to £11.7m, ASOS is a veritable global powerhouse. Marketplace is an area of the site where small designers and vintage collectors, such as Sister Vintage, can sell their wares to a limitless international clientele. Laura spoke enthusiastically about the benefits and possibilities of the new launch for their business:-
“Obviously its amazing to be involved with ASOS marketplace, it’s such an amazing platform to have your brand associated with, it’s just fantastic. Our stuff is so reasonably priced, everyone can afford it and I think people are now more likely to shop online. You don’t have to pay for your train fare or your bus fare, you don’t have to leave the house, you can just sit in the comfort of your own home and just shop. It’s fantastic!”
According to Imrg (the voice of e-retail) over 37 million people in the UK are now filling their shopping baskets online, making e-commerce a formidable opportunity for small businesses to reach out to their clients and attract new business. Eliminating costly overheads such as rent and utilities, the online market can ultimately boost both sales and profit for small enterprises in Scotland. Ruth McKay chairperson from the Edinburgh branch of the Federation of Small Business highlights the need for diversification and forward thinking for businesses in the current economic climate and believes that the online market is a great way to initiate such changes:-
“Online and the internet offer huge opportunities for small businesses. If nothing else, it is actually an area where they can compete almost as effectively as big companies can. Along with new media and social media, there are lots of new ways of communicating with potential customers. I think for some small businesses it has allowed them not just to service their own local area, but the whole of the UK and the worldwide market.”
Thanks to the girls’ passion, commitment and keen eye, ‘Sister Vintage’ continues to go from strength to strength, with an expansion into menswear planned for the Edinburgh trio next year. The wide variety of one-off items available, ranging from intricately beaded dresses to flamboyant oh so on trend Eighties shirts, illustrates ‘Sister vintage’ s understanding of their industry, and most importantly, the desires of their clientele. The ‘Sister Vintage’ collection can be viewed at the ‘Gin in teacups’ vintage fashion fair, at Chambre-69 in Glasgow on the first weekend of every month, as well as on their Facebook page and on ASOS Marketplace.
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