$50, $70, $120 just to set up stall? No more!
For first-timer flea sellers, you can tell it's their first time: bright eyes seeing dollar signs, fresh and lively. They will ask if the clothes rack you are renting or selling can be dismantled and assembled (not knowing that clothing racks these days are sold in boxes, so of course they can be dismantled and assembled).
After paying first for a stall, and renting or buying a clothing rack, and finally making their way to the spot with all their heavy stuff...
They don't find the path paved with gold they can peel or riches they can pick.
The only people making money off of fleas, are the Flea Organizers! How wonderful to collect all that cash even before the event starts. Sure they do promotion for you. Where? In free online websites like Facebook and Twitter. Wow... how smart.
Do the maths: if a stall costs $70 to rent, and this is an average amount that's usually charged, how much profit can you possibly make by selling your item/s? You think your items will sell flying off your racks and tabletops?
Nooo...
What "shoppers" do at fleas, if they actually bother coming through, is:
1) Look
2) Touch and walk away
3) Ask how much and walk away, not even bothering to bargain
4) Bargain, even if it's already very cheap (might as well, ask for free).
Fact is, these "customers" are just there out of curiosity. If they wanted to buy and had money, they would buy from real shops, not fleas.
Those who buy don't really need or want what you are selling. So, they can just stroll away from you if the price isn't as low as they like. It is in their favor if you are desperate to sell.
Or, they don't have money on them or didn't bring enough money. Either way, you don't make money.
Well, now, all stall holders can rent a stall on an hourly basis! Stay from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m, or set up your stall and leave anytime you like! Just pay for the hours you are there!
An innovative system designed by TechShopBoys allows stall holders to own a stall that opens only upon payment into a patented money machine at its side. Starting price to open shop is just $10 for the first hour!
Once that hour is up, the stall folds itself shut (with your items still in it if they are not removed)! To re-open, just add $6 for the next hour! The hours after the second till you close, are charged at just $3 per hour!
Go to the restroom or catch a snack with a break in the hours, with your items safely locked! No need to ask or beg a friend to tag along, or ask other stall holders to look after your stall while you are gone.
Should your items be locked in and you don't wish to pay (or play) anymore, just call the number sticker-ed on your stall, provide some details for verification, and they will have the shop re-open for you to retrieve your stuff within 10 minutes.
The first 15 TechShopBoys stalls will begin operation at an as yet undisclosed shopping mall in March of next year 2012.
With the launch, "We hope the current system of fleas will be a thing of the past", says Joshua Ong, managing director of TechShopBoys.
"Our system is designed to help stall holders make some real profit as entrepreneurs. At the current rate for fleas at $70 or $80 per day, or even more depending on the organizer, if a stall holder marks up $5 per item, he or she would need to sell at least 14 or 16 items that day. You would need to be selling very popular items to meet this number and beyond, to see any profit. With our stalls, if you spend just 4 hours, it's only $22. A much lesser cost to cover and increases your chances at profit.".
But can just about anything be sold at these stalls?
"While we encourage almost anything, from clothing to cosmetics to toys or snacks, we do have to keep to what's allowed by the malls and authorities.", says Joshua.
The group of five Singaporeans, headed by their managing director, hopes to expand their idea and stalls throughout Asia and possibly farther afield. For now, their goal is simply, "To help local stall holders make some real money from their efforts, be it selling secondhand or brand new.".
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