Naiise Malaysia offers platform for local designers
KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore’s leading omnichannel design and lifestyle retailers, Naiise has launched its first overseas venture in Malaysia and is optimistic of expanding its platform here to benefit local designers.
Naiise Malaysia has launched a dedicated e-commerce platform for the Malaysian market (www.naiise.com.my) with 50 brands onboard, of which more than 30 percent are homegrown Malaysian designers and makers.
By end-2017, Naiise Malaysia foresees the number of brands on its platform to reach 300, with 50 per cent being local brands. Tan Wen Dee, managing director of Naiise Malaysia told The Borneo Post that Malaysia is one of the top five overseas markets currently purchasing from Naiise Singapore.
“With this expansion into Malaysia, we can further curate our products to fit the local demand as well as provide consumers with cheaper and faster shipping options, supported by a local team and fulfilment warehouse in Malaysia,” she said in an online interview recently.
Tan revealed that the group takes a percentage cut from the goods that are sold, and Naiise Malaysia does not earn unless the designers earn.
“At the same time we are making good design more accessible by offering more options to consumers who love and appreciate good design,” she said, noting that many items sold incorporate local flair such as local foods like the curry puff, ‘kueh bahulu’ and ‘angkukueh’.
“Naiise Malaysia is also committed to educating consumers about the value of good design, and why supporting local brands can play a pivotal role in growing the Malaysian design industry.
“There are many good designs produced every day around the world and in Malaysia that go unrecognised, our aim is to provide these designers a platform to reach out to as many people as we can in Malaysia and in other countries.
“For instance, we have Malaysian designers that are selling their items in Singapore market through our online platform and retail store, soon we will bring them to the UK market.
“We hope to grow and helm a community of design lovers in Malaysia by working closely with its customers, designers and makers, and partners.”
This clear direction stems from Naiise’s huge success in Singapore where we pioneered the #GoLocal movement, being one of the first to champion local design to the media and consumers, and working closely with its community to create strong buzz around the local creative scenes.
“It has been a few weeks since our official website launch and some of our items are already sold out. Currently, we are working on restocking these items, such as Curry Puff Cushion and Bahulu Cushion,” she observed.