Manchester’s local heroes driving online exports
Manchester is the UK hotspot for online sellers. Research we launched last week showed the region is punching above its weight for online exports with one in eight goods sold internationally through an online marketplace coming from the capital of the North. Over the past few years, Manchester’s digital landscape has evolved to support a multimillion e-commerce industry including household names like appliances firm AO and fashion stalwarts Boohoo.com.
The real driving force of Manchester’s e-commerce boom is the host of small businesses founded by local entrepreneurs with small budgets but big ideas. They export their unique products to markets across the world from warehouses and head offices around the North West.
These are businesses like Swifty Scooters, founded by Jason and Camilla Iftakhar, as an urban mobility solution offering a safe and most importantly, fun way to whiz about in busy cities. Jason explains their humble beginnings: “We always had the idea of launching our own product. When you start a business, you have to believe in it whole heartedly and whatever it is should represent the values you want to live by”.
By taking a multichannel approach to sales, they’ve been able to reach customers across the world. “We use multi-channels, selling via ecommerce websites and working towards finding distributor partners in each territory. We also have about 20 independent retailers who buy stock from us”. Swifty Scooters can now be found from Merseyside to Malaysia as their global fan base has grown leading to more direct approaches from international customers.
Another business that has made the big leap from the North West to the Far East is Wake Drinks founded by Alex Buckley after the idea came to him travelling in South East Asia. He says, “It was quite evident that there was an affection towards the Union Jack and the British way of life from restaurants offering afternoon teas to teenagers with their flag designed clothing.”
Fast forward three years and the Wake Drinks brand has conquered China, selling through online platforms like Taobao and their Chinese website. The drinks brand will be a partner at the British Motorsport Festival being held in Beijing in October.
At World First, we call businesses like Swifty Scooters and Wake Drinks mini-multinationals, characterised by their small operations but international reach. They are also our local heroes supporting Manchester’s regional economy and creating jobs by taking advantage of the opportunities to sell their product across international markets.
If you’re a North West business looking to expand internationally and learn from founders like Jason and Alex, register now for our free meetup later this month. At our inaugural Online Seller Cellar taking place in Manchester, we’ll have Swifty Scooters and Wake Drinks discussing their experience in growing their business. Learn practical tips about getting your brand online from marketplace and export experts.
Register now on Eventbrite and we’ll see you at The Living Room on March 28th!