Retailer Evaluation: mybadmintonstore.com
Final time I used to be in Hong Kong I visited Winston Chan of mybadmintonstore.com. Over lunch we talked about his retailer, his enterprise philosophy in addition to badminton market and badminton typically. There are a number of attention-grabbing issues that I want to share with BadmintonCentral members.
Solely been right here in Hong Kong for just a few days, I used to be already getting influenced by the tradition there. Hong Kong is understood for being extremely environment friendly on every little thing and boy did I be taught that shortly. Right here, lunches will not be merely for filling one up gastronomically, they’re additionally nice alternatives to meet up with outdated associates in addition to making new ones. The opposite day I known as up Winston of mybadmintonstore.com (MBS) fame to go to his store in Sheung Wan. Winston and I chatted for ages about every little thing badminton. Being a neighborhood retailer in addition to a serious internet-based worldwide mail order firm, MBS is in a novel place within the area of interest market of badminton merchandise.
Getting from my workplace in Wanchai to MBS in Sheung Wan requires me to dig up some outdated recollections of the sophisticated bus routes in HK island. MBS is situated in a small laptop mall within the busy Queen’s Highway West, which is a serious route that i’m conversant in. The placement is a block away from the Western Market public badminton court docket. Winston has completed his homework on location. I took an categorical bus from Wanchai and was in entrance of MBS in lower than 10 minutes. MBS can also be just a few blocks from the MTR station and that may be a superb different if coming from distant. Nonetheless, for less than 3 MTR stops it was sooner for me to go by bus.
Winston and I the truth is have lots in widespread, apart from sharing a ardour for badminton, we each studied within the UK. Upon ending his research in UK, Winston ended up doing gross sales for big firms in each UK and Hong Kong. Throughout these instances, Winston honed his gross sales and advertising and marketing information and talent that he later discovered invaluable as a entrepreneur. With that entreprenerial spirit, MBS was born in 2004.
MBS began off as a web solely retailer that operated out of Winston’s residence. MBS because the title counsel is a badminton specialty retailer. It solely provide badminton fans merchandise. In 2008, the operation grew bigger and Winston secured a nook location in a mall in Sheung Wan. MBS now employs 2 additional employees to take care of every day operations.
True to Hong Kong spirit, MBS’s retailer entrance, abeit being tiny to western commonplace, is definitely fairly widespread in HK. Occupying roughly 200 sq ft on the far nook of the shopping center, they managed to suit 3 energetic working employees and an entire set of merchandise together with something you possibly can think about from the widespread rackets, strings, shuttles, clothes, to specialty gadgets like grommets, flying clamps and goggles. A stringing machine occupies the central location.
It seems that shifting from his residence to an actual retailer entrance was not solely a logistic transfer, but additionally a strategic transfer as nicely. Having an actual retailer entrance is sweet for native and abroad clients to conveniently see and buy MBS merchandise, in addition to good for MBS’ on-line picture as a reliable firm.
Other than the shop entrance in Sheung Wan, MBS even have warehouses in HK. When a order is available in, merchandise will get collected within the warehouse to be sorted, packaged, and despatched off to their comfortable clients.
Over lunch Winston and I talked lots about his operation and his enterprise philosophy.
Winston’s primary enterprise philosophy is serving the shoppers. He imagine in offering what his clients want. He spent a good quantity of his time not solely coping with the every day operations, however he additionally exit and hunt down specialty badminton merchandise which might be onerous to seek out. Uncommon are badminton shops that not solely cater to the common badminton participant, but additionally cater to extra fanatic gadgets like badminton stringers in addition to uncommon rackets like JP and discontinued rackets.
I personally was comfortable to see that MBS provides a number of stringing equipment. I shortly wolfed up some Yonex and MBS flying clamps, some grommets in addition to a load spreader. Many specialty gadgets like these are troublesome to seek out and particularly uncommon to see underneath one retailer. It was definitely very handy for me.
Philanthropy can also be one thing that MBS engages in. Desperate to unfold the eagerness of the game, Winston imagine that everybody deserves to benefit from the recreation of badminton. To that finish, he has donated gear to kids in slums in Brazil, granting them the prospect to play and share our love and fervour for badminton. On high of that, MBS additionally sponsors native and international badminton groups, putting gear buy offers with them.
As Winston mentioned, “I need to unfold the enjoyment of badminton.”
