Focus on Following Trends, Successful Blow Shoe Brand Dominate Online Market

Currently, local shoe brands continue to show their existence, along with trends streetwear which is widely loved by young Indonesians. Blow shoe brand or known in pass online sebagai Shopatblow (Blow Official Shop) is one of them.

Brand Blow or Shopatblow is a local footwear manufacturer, which carries the product theme fashion, stylish and up to date. This brand targets the target market of women as consumers.

Blow itself has many variations of footwear models for women. Starting from sneakers, wedges, sandals, flatshoes and others. The average selling price is around 100 thousand rupiah.

The Journey from Big Loss to Big Business

Owner and Founder of Blow Vincent Octavianus, shares stories about the business he started six years ago. He said that his shoe brand used to start as a very small business, until it finally developed, thanks to digitalization.

“Initially, we sold warehouse cleaning goods. That's us start very small in the garage. Then, we also opened a shop in the market, at that time we rented a shop, but it turned out to be a big loss,” he added.

• Had Lost Before Digitization

Vincent said that he started the shoe business since 2016. Initially, before the Blow or Shopatblow brand was established, the shoe business he held was called Octav. While running the Octav shoe business, the new place to sell was in the form of a shop in the market.

“Actually, the beginning of the shoe business was from the shop offline. As long as you're a player offline, we open a shop at the market, join the bazaar, to the night market. We sell it in outlets, from which brands we sell it," he said.

However, business offline what he was doing, did not go so smoothly. Vincent admitted that the turnover of selling in the market was small. During the bazaar, he often loses more than gains.

"For me, selling online offline it's quite difficult. The turnover we get is small. From the bazzar that we participated in three times, we lost twice. Finally, we try to sell online online, "He said.

• Sales Rate Soars After Digitization

The beginning of reaching the market online in 2017, this brand still uses the Octav name. Octav markets its shoe products through the Zalora and Berrybenka fashion marketplaces. For approximately two years, to be exact in 2019, Octav just started rebranding to blow.

“We rebranded because at that time, Octav was a brand with quite expensive products, so it was more difficult to reach buyers. Meanwhile, Blow itself is more affordable, many of which are under 100 thousand rupiah," said Vincent.

A year after rebranding and starting to expand its market in online other marketplaces, such as Shopee, Blow's sales rate increased sharply. This increase is in line with the trend of people shopping online when the Covid-19 pandemic is at its peak.

"In the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, sales online we immediately improved drastically. Previously we did have growth Which is good, we have seen the potential to sell on the marketplace. But our growth is hundreds of times bigger,” said Vincent.

According to Vincent, the increase in Blow's sales since the start of the pandemic has actually gone up significantly. Until now, he admits that Blow has always grown well and continues to follow developments.

Target Blow Now Stays Focused on the Local Market

This brand already has many branch stores, which are spread in several malls in big cities. Starting from AEON Mall, Living World, Summarecon Mall, Grand Indonesia, and several other large malls.

Currently, Blow has employed more than 150 people as production employees, as well as 40 people as a team marketing, creative, warehouse, drivers and other employees who work in the office.

Blow's target in the next two years is to continue to expand its market to many regions in Indonesia. Vincent feels, Blow opportunity in the market online The local area is very good, so it must be used to the maximum, in order to reap even more turnover.

“The local market is still very wide, and we don't feel it is optimal. There are still many who are better than us, so we want to focus on that. Currently, there is no thought of opening a shop (offline) abroad,” he added.

How to Blow Increase Turnover Through Digital Platforms

After the ups and downs of establishing Blow as a brand that is known and loved by the public, Vincent shares how he can maintain his existence and increase turnover from sales on digital platforms, as follows:

• Keep Innovating Follow the Trend

Vincent admitted, one of the factors that Blow has survived until now is because it is relevant and always follows trends. Starting from product trends, sales platforms, to the promotion methods that are being loved, all of them are Blow to follow.

"We always follow what customer want, what is the trend like? So instead of holding on to your own desires. We are always learning, see other people can, we have to be able. For example, currently there is a trend for people to buy products through the Live Tiktok Shop, so we have to join," he said.

For Vincent, there is no reason not to follow the trend. Including reasons such as: no resource understands, no one can create it, and so on, it's not an excuse. According to him, everything can be done as long as the intention is to learn and try.

• Take Advantage of the Marketplace Program

Since joining several popular marketplaces in Indonesia, such as Shopee, Tokopedia and Lazada, sales have increased sharply. Marketplace is the place with the most sales of Blow brand products.

Blow can even expand its market to foreign countries, starting from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and several other countries. This was achieved thanks to the support of the marketplace export program.

• Maximum Promotion Through Social Media

According to Vincent, competition between fashion brands online tighter now. Because the tens in society continue to change rapidly. So, Blow needs to be good at seeing opportunities.

"by" marketing, all types of social media we use at the same time. Not only on Instagram, we are also active on Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and others. We also follow all types of advertisements, one of which is collaborative advertising, "he said.

 

See this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BLOW OFFICIAL SHOP (@shopatblow)

The Importance of Digitization for Businesses

For Vincent, doing business online brought a lot of profit for him and the business he built. He assesses, now, like it or not, business online must try to do. Because that's what people want today.

“A lot of people who are old, maybe think business online it is more difficult and strenuous. But, I think it should be tried. This doesn't mean business offline it is detrimental, at least the two can go hand in hand,” he said.

He also gives advice for people who are not sure about going into online business because of operational capability constraints. Currently, there are many marketing agencies that can help the process of doing business online, for example agencies that help create advertisements or promote products.

Blow itself uses a lot of digital platforms in its daily operational activities. Starting from the production process, promotion to internal discussions with employees. Vincent said, everything is lived by learning, along with the development of digital technology.