Hands up makes way for WhatsApp
THEY were held up at gunpoint and had their stock stolen, but getting their community to embrace online buying is still the biggest challenge for Mitchells Plain Online Store.
The business was the brainchild of Marshall Petersen, 26, who started it from his home early last year with friends Andre Williams, 26, and Angelo Fortuin, 29.
All unemployed, they had nothing but R50 and some experience in social media and finance. They used the money for petrol to meet a supplier.
The idea was born of necessity. “I sent my CV to different places 50 times and nothing came of it,” said Petersen. “We were unemployed, although we have degrees. So we never had much choice but to start something. We took a leap of faith. It goes to show how simple an idea can be.”
The friends started selling items they knew would be in wide demand, such as bedding — their biggest seller — glassware and printer toner.
They sold on Gumtree and Facebook forums before moving to their own Facebook page and website.
They have 15 suppliers, but had a setback in November last year when they were held up at gunpoint in Philippi. “We couldn’t find a customer’s home,” said Fortuin. “We were waiting for her when two men with guns approached us. They took our personal belongings and our stock.”
The incident, they maintain, was an exception, and they are determined to fight the negative perception of the area, dubbed the most crime-ridden in the country by Crime Stats SA.
An example is Facebook, which had posts on Mitchells Plain that they decided to address rather than delete. “We had a comment in Xhosa that, translated, said: ‘I’m afraid of this place. Mitchells Plain is dangerous,’ ” said Fortuin. “We are striving to contribute to the positivity of the area.”
Said Petersen: “We do want to change perceptions. And we started with good customer service.”
Part of the deal is free delivery in Mitchells Plain of goods costing more than R99, and the ability to order via WhatsApp.
“People used to talk to us about the business and ask: ‘Where is your shop?’ To sell them the idea of a shop online is still hard,” said Williams.
“Customers used to come to the house and want to look at the product. An online store is something they’re slowly easing into.
“People beyond Mitchells Plain buy from us online. But we still hope that it will grow here as much as it has in the rest of the country. It’s an adjustment for people.”
Debbie Jacobs West, of Bothasig, one of Cape Town’s northern suburbs, had her doubts, but is now a regular customer. “I was worried in the beginning because I worry about scams. But they didn’t ask for cash up front and they delivered in two days. Everything was perfect,” she said. “I liked the quality and service.”
The friends were surprised to receive orders from Secunda, Brits, Soweto, Piet Retief and even Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
“We are launching a new site next month. It has to be mobile-friendly, because more people have phones than laptops,” said Petersen.
The next challenge is to work with more local suppliers. They also want their own office. Said Petersen: “We plan to grow this small business into something sustainable for ourselves, then the community, where we can employ school graduates.”
We had a comment in Xhosa that, translated, said: ‘I’m afraid of this place. Mitchells Plain is dangerous’