Case Studies

Working extensively on expanding their network of wholesale buyers, BrandsGateway recently teamed up with a new client who specializes in selling luxury goods, specifically jewelry and branded watches, in quite different and, for many, intriguing and entertaining ways. In particular, George Tsagarakis has devoted 31 years of his life to building a successful business for selling luxury goods through live TV auctions. Undoubtedly, from all of the wholesale buyers in BrandsGateway’s network, George is the only one, so far, that offers this unique approach to selling jewelry and designer watches - one that gives a whole other dimension to the business of selling luxury items. Selling luxury goods through live TV auctions is not an easy job, and George does it in a masterful way. George has been working in the field of jewelry, precious stones, and artwork for three decades and counting. And it’s fair to say that he managed to fearlessly come out on top of everything that has crossed his path and turned it to his advantage by transforming and adapting his business to the new times and advances. George started his business in 1989 in Greece, specifically in the period when private broadcasting (radio and television) was legalized in the country. Up until that moment, he emphasizes that they had only government-owned channels in Greece. “I opened the Gallery Tsagarakis in 1989 and since then I’m using it for selling art, especially antiques - which is what I specialize in. Apart from that, we sell furniture, paintings, china, porcelain, and other collectibles, and silver stuff. Sometime later I had the idea to continue with jewelry, so I started with diamonds since diamondology is what I specialize in”, says George. From this emerged the idea for him to try and sell his artworks and jewelry through infomercials. As he points out - “at first it seemed very strange, but then, it went really well, so nowadays we are considered one of the most popular companies on the Greek territory.” “Afterward, I grew my business and opened 22 stores in Greece and four other countries, including Cyprus, Spain, Bulgaria, and Egypt with 180 people working for me. To emphasize, in reality, we are auctioneers - we have an auction house and we are mainly selling all kinds of jewelry. Now we have an everyday live show on television and our own studios where we broadcast it from Greece and Cyprus”, he adds. George expanded his business on a large scale during that time until the emergence of the crisis in Greece. As he explains - “the last government we had was a very bad experience because everything went down - it was a communist government, which is so strange for this country - the country of democrats to have a communist party. They went down now after 4 and a half years but we had a very hard time. I closed most of my stores, I kept one here in Athens and one in the Hilton hotel in Cyprus. A model of Gant watch auctioned on GT Tsangarakis live After the closure of many of his stores, George continued running the television business and hosting everyday live auctions. He still sells all kinds of precious jewelry, diamonds, antique jewelry, victorian, Art-Deco, Art-Nuvo, retro style, vintage jewelry from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even modern contemporary jewelry from different Italian designers, including Carlo Palmiero. GT Tsangarakis live auctions last for 2 to 3 hours and during that time the audience is bidding through their phones, regardless of their location in the country. Recently, with the idea to expand his portfolio with watches from brands like Esprit, Gant, and Juicy Couture, George decided to reach out to BrandsGateway and start a collaboration. So, his live shows were enriched with BrandsGateway’s watches aside from his usual jewelry pieces. Speaking of challenges and obstacles, Covid-19 is yet another of the challenges brought to George that made him broaden his horizon and start thinking about growing his business in yet another direction. At the moment, he and his team are preparing to launch their platform for online auctions - GTB Online Auctions. A model of Esprit watch auctioned on GT Tsangarakis live “The Covid-19 has shown to be good for us. Understandably, nobody wants to go on like this but, on the other hand, in our business, it’s good because the market is closed, all the stores are closed and we are the only company in Greece that does this type of live TV auctions where people can buy and even sell their jewelry to us. Particularly, our income went up to more than 50% because we are selling high-end pieces on television and delivering them to our customers’ homes in Greece and Cyprus. And we are running around 320.000 customers in this small country”, George points out. “These challenging times provided us with the opportunity to look beyond TV auctions and got us to the decision to start a platform for online auctions. The idea with these online auctions is to attract more customers, for example, between 30 and 40 years, because now our customers are mostly ladies ranging between 55 and 80 years, and also to expand our portfolio and sell more of BrandsGateway’s products, aside from the watches and sunglasses,” he adds. George specializes in high-end jewelry and precious stones, but as he emphasizes - “sometimes people wish to buy different things at more convenient prices, for example, for a present. This is where BrandsGateway’s branded women’s and men’s watches come as the perfect offer.” He finds the women’s watches by Esprit and Juicy Couture, and the men’s watches by Gant as the perfect fit for people who want to buy more affordable yet branded and luxury models of watches either for themselves or as a gift. When it comes to the watches he notes that branded watches like those that BrandsGateway offers - with an elegant and luxurious look decorated with gold and silver details, as well as with stones or Swarovski crystals are very popular and sellable. George sells BrandsGateway’s collection of watches through his TV infomercials and on his official website. To give a better perspective of the volume of branded watches that he purchases from BrandsGateway - in just two weeks he managed to sell 250 watches. When it comes to the other luxury items featured in the extensive BrandsGateway’s portfolio, George additionally purchases casual women’s clothing by Silvian Heach, stylish women’s sunglasses by Dsquared², and elegant men’s shoes by Dolce & Gabbana. Having BrandsGateway as his supplier of luxury watches, sunglasses, shoes, and clothing, George highlights that the service and support he receives from BrandsGateway’s team has been perfect. To the question - How did he hear about BrandsGateway and whether he is satisfied with the profit he has gained so far he explains that after doing research on stocks and luxury products, he came across BrandsGateway’s portfolio of branded products and decided to feature them in his collection and selling them through live auctions and on his official website. A model of gold-plated Esprit watch auctioned on GT Tsangarakis live Talking about other channels that he uses for selling his products, George says - “After working for 31 years with television, infomercials have shown to be the most effective way for us to sell our products, so this is our top channel at the moment. We are also using social media, however, with much less success since our target audience is of older age and is not very familiar with social media channels and the Internet. This is the reason why we will be launching a new platform for online auctions - to focus on a younger audience as well. And we have high hopes that our products - BrandsGateway’s items included, would be sold very well.” Asked about what the future holds and whether he is looking into expanding towards other selection of branded items, like the rest of what BrandsGateway specializes in, such as luxury accessories and handbags, George adds that he was selling handbags before when he was supplying them from private sources at 20% off the retail price and we selling them at 50% off. However, they managed to sell 4.000 handbags for two years and decided to move onto other types of items. Finally, he emphasizes that the experience he had with BrandsGateway’s team so far was perfect. One thing he wishes for is an expanded portfolio - an element that BrandsGateway’s team is already working on as they announced the arrival of new brands and products, particularly in the categories of branded watches and sunglasses for women and men. “The watches that you have are great for selling at the moment on the live TV shows, however, with our new platform coming live, I think there would be a possibility also for other products of the BrandsGateway portfolio”, states George. In the end, to those thinking about breaking into the business of selling luxury goods, especially watches, George gives the advice to look into offering anything that is good looking, gold or silver plated, with stones or crystals and that is of at least 30-40 mm, and more specifically branded.

Rovena Kafilaj from Tampa, Florida, USA, always knew that having her own fashion boutique was something meant to happen. It was a dream, and just like every true entrepreneur, she never gave up. Opening a clothing store wouldn’t be possible without Rovena’s family support or factors like finding the perfect retail location, of course, but finding the right clothing supplier was the key factor for her. Rovena found BrandsGateway while searching online for high-end fashion suppliers and, once she established contact with us, she never looked back. Now Rovena is the proud owner of a new but already successful retail store in Tampa, Florida, located in a high-end shopping mall. She is one of the many wholesale customers of BrandsGateway, and her knowledge and experience are a great inspiration to be shared with our community. In the following interview, Rovena, in her own words, explains why BrandsGateway was the key to her store’s success and how she advises others to choose the same route as she did. 1. Can you please tell us a bit about how and when did you start your business? Rovena: I wanted to have a fashion boutique for a long time, but being a mother of four children, I simply had no time to focus on anything else. When I realized that I have the time to start working on my business, the next obstacle was where do I find these nice luxury clothes to sell in my boutique? Obviously, I got online and started searching for suppliers. One of the first results I checked was BrandsGateway. What made me really happy was the opportunity to establish direct communication with you guys on WhatsApp. I was really happy with the initial contact as it was explained to me what you offer, the terms of delivery, brands, etc. I really liked the extensive selection of Dolce & Gabbana items which you offer, and that was it I realized that this was the right partner for me. The next step was to find the right retail spot and, luckily, there was a spot in one of the best malls in the area where I live. Getting into a mall is not an easy task, but I had the patience and, after a small delay in the approval procedure, I finally could start my new business. As soon as that happened, I agreed with your CEO, Michael, to come to Sweden and visit one of the warehouses, to be precise, the Dolce & Gabbana vendor’s warehouse. It meant a lot to me that I was able to meet the people behind this operation and handpick the items I would like to purchase. BrandsGateway is the supplier of luxury clothing for this retail fashion boutique located in a high-end shopping mall, in Tampa, Florida. I started researching suppliers in June 2019 and opened my store in January 2020. As you can see, it took a while for everything to get into the right place so my business could launch. As you know, the Coronavirus hit in March 2020, and the mall was closed for a few months, however, I did not mind it too much as the first two months of my business running were actually really good. It is an advantage for me to have the fashion boutique in a mall as mine is the only store that offers this kind of apparel, the majority of the other stores are brands, which mainly design different styles so that makes my store unique. 2. How are you dealing with the current situation with the Coronavirus affecting the business? Rovena: The situation is not great but obviously it has nothing to do with the products I sell. It’s very tough now, October is one of the worst months that this mall has ever seen in traffic. We’ll see how it will go in November, the holiday season is coming and there is optimism that the situation will get better. It’s also a possibility that people are saving during this month so there’s enough for gifts in November and December. Black Friday is coming, as well, and promotions always increase sales. The business is not in danger right now but we all hope for this situation to go away as soon as possible. 3. Can you describe your experience with BrandsGateway so far? Rovena: The experience with BrandsGateway has been amazing, and I couldn’t be happier that I have found you to be my business partner. The customer support is spot on, the attention of your team to our needs as customers is invaluable, and I feel like this is your company’s biggest competitive advantage. Especially in the beginning when I just opened my store, your team was available to help me any time of the day. I never hesitate to reach out to you guys for anything that I need. I consider you to be my true business partner. Sometimes maybe I ask too many questions, but the support is just great, and all my questions are resolved timely. By selling the products that BrandsGateway has in its portfolio, you can differentiate your clothing store from the crowd. BrandsGateway is the only supplier I work with right now, and I had customers asking for more brand differentiation. I expressed this to your support a few months ago, and I noticed that you have expanded your brand selection which I really like. Additionally, I was told you guys are bringing a few more big brands in the coming period so, even if I never find another supplier, your stock selection is looking great at least to what my customers demand. 4. What are some of the benefits of working with us? Rovena: It is crucial to have a perfect relationship with your business partners. With BrandsGateway, it’s almost like I have had a personal relationship with you since day one. I can rely on you, on the product selection, on the delivery time, packaging, I never have any issues with customs, etc. Sometimes, I even ask for people at the warehouse to show me around on their phone camera so I can see the goods on the video with my own eyes. I am like that, sometimes too demanding but, luckily, the guys at BrandsGateway understand how much this means for my business. BrandsGateway's product selection is ideal for starting an online or retail fashion store. 5. What makes us unique as a supplier? Rovena: I think that what makes you unique is the product selection and the amazing prices you offer. This makes it unique for anyone with not too high of a budget to purchase stock from you and start selling clothes, regardless if it’s online or in a retail fashion boutique. It’s crucial to take advantage of the prices and the discounts you offer, which are almost impossible to find in other places. Anyone can buy your products and start their business, it’s not simple, the road to success is hard and takes a lot of work, but this is an opportunity which you must seize. 6. Who is your typical customer? Rovena: My fashion boutique is attracting a younger audience, mostly in their 20s or early 30s and the majority are men. The most popular items I sell are T-shirts and shoes. Luckily you have a huge selection of really nice men’s t-shirts and men’s shoes, so that’s being sold like crazy. 7. What was the best day in sales which you’ve had with our inventory? Rovena: I won’t take as an example a single day but a few days around Father’s Day and I think that from your stock only in those few days I sold about $6.000 worth of stock. Those were a really nice few days. 8. How much time does it take you to sell the goods which you purchase from BrandsGateway? Rovena: It depends on the items which I purchase. The t-shirts, especially the demanded models disappear from the shelves in a week or two. Some items can take a month to be sold so it all depends on how good a product is and the season of the year. That’s where your expertise comes in hand and that’s why I take advice from you when I purchase stock. When I say customer service is important this is one of the key features which makes BrandsGateway special for me. That’s why I like calling you my business partner, not just my supplier!

BrandsGateway's goal is to help people start or expand their entrepreneurial journey by providing great products and services at even better prices. Our reward for the efforts we are taking is the positive feedback we receive from our customers. It is always amazing to hear that BrandsGateway is helping individuals and companies from all over the world build great businesses and change their lives. We are more than happy to present the beginning of the case studies series where we talk with successful entrepreneurs who use BrandsGateway as their dropshipping supplier. Hopefully, we can inspire people into taking that step and just start. It’s not an easy task to build and run a business but with a great partner, the job becomes much easier.  This is the story of a dropshipper from Australia who is one of our biggest success stories. His name is Sam and he runs the website Azurarunway.com. Sam has an entrepreneurial background and like thousands of other successful entrepreneurs, his previous business efforts were not a big success but he decided that he is not giving up so he stumbled upon BrandsGateway. That is when everything changed. Sam has been a dropshipper on BrandsGateway for two years and is in the top 5 dropshippers by sales. His story is not an overnight success - his amazing results are a product of hard work and dedication. Together with BrandsGateway as his business partner, his entrepreneurial efforts paid off.  1. Could you tell us a bit more about your business? Sam: My name is Sam and I am the founder and CEO of Azura Consulting which is the parent company of Azura Runway, the company which does dropshipping through BrandsGateway. What we do as a company is basically dropship branded and luxury fashion around the world.  We plug into a platform called ChannelAdviser, which then imports our products to various marketplaces around the world. We currently sell in 10 different marketplaces” In Australia, with the aim to get to a hundred by the end of this year.  2. Is this your first dropshipping business or you have had previous experience with dropshipping and e-commerce? Sam: This is our second dropshipping business. We had another business in Australia which was more wholesale, where you have to buy the goods upfront. The category was different, we were working with general appliances and groceries. The business didn’t do as well as we hoped. Luckily that’s when we stumbled upon BrandsGateway and got into the higher fashion business and dropshipping.