More than 300 domestic manufacturers have already registered on the first marketplace of Ukrainian clothing and footwear brands shopping.ua, co-founder of the shopping.ua platform Serhiy Azarenka told Interfax-Ukraine.
“The war had a great impact on representatives of the clothing industry in Ukraine. We constantly analyze the market, we see how difficult it is for Ukrainian manufacturers today. Our platform was created for true connoisseurs of made in Ukraine,” Azarenka said.
According to him, the portal was launched during the war, in April 2022. It was the war that prompted people to give people the opportunity to buy Ukrainian in different regions, the expert explains.
He clarified that in total before the war, 1,600 sewing enterprises operated in Ukraine, a significant part of which is located in the north-eastern region of the country: in Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions. These regions were the first to be hit by the enemy.
“The producers of Kharkiv, the most affected by constant shelling and power outages, are already gradually recovering,” Azarenka said.
Overall, he estimates that approximately 60% of companies in the industry have either closed or are operating with interruptions. The reason is not only in the destruction, but also in the absence of orders, the expert notes.
“The marketplace will allow Ukrainians to support a Ukrainian manufacturer, which will have a positive impact on the economy of Ukraine as a whole,” Azarenka is convinced.
Currently, the marketplace offers author’s collections of famous designers, promotional offers from brands such as CAT ORANGE, Jadone Fashion, Tuto Vzuto, Egostyle, MAN’s SET, Amulet, Sofia Shelest, Aura Shoes, etc.
Any domestic clothing and footwear manufacturer can join the platform. To connect, it is enough to provide an extract from the unified state register of taxpayers. Registration and placement of goods on the marketplace are free.
Shoes and clothing are the most popular online purchases for Ukrainians, with 70% of Internet users ready to make such purchases. That’s compared to only 24% who are willing to buy food online, according to results of a survey conducted by GfK Ukraine released on Monday. “Interestingly, for the food category, 13% of respondents say they would like to buy this category, but do not have this opportunity. Most likely, the reason is the insufficient convenience of the ordering and delivery of goods in this category, as well as the insufficient number of sites for such purchases,” GfK’s press release said. Only 6% said the same applies to buying shoes and clothing online.
Electronics and home appliances are also popular online purchases, with more than half of Internet users are ready to purchase them online. They are followed by cosmetics – about 38%, toys and children’s products – more than 25%. The study indicates the inability to buy goods in these categories is lower than in the case of clothing and shoes and food.
According to GfK Ukraine, 66% of the population of Ukraine used the Internet in 2018 (61% in 2017), of which 34% make online purchases.
