Online marketplace Pinkoi Thailand launches

Pinkoi Thailand, a cross-border curated online marketplace for original design products, has been officially launched.

Founded in Taiwan in 2011, Pinkoi individually selects its items, which include original handmade or small-scale produced clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and stationery.

By curating products, Pinkoi appeals to specific demographics, reaching e-commerce consumers in Asia who want to make quick purchases because of limited browsing time.

In Asia, says the company, the rise of the disposable incomes of millennials has seen a growing trend toward experiential spending, which includes a greater interest in one-off designs by local artisans.

Inspired by the weekend markets and artistic fair in Taipei, the Pinkoi team seeks out up-and- coming and established niche designers throughout Asia. It supports its network of designers through workshops covering such topics as photography and packaging, webinars and online marketing.

Pinkoi CEO Peter Yen says the latest launch is positive news for Thai designers, with 500 already signed up and accepted. “There is an incredible art and design scene in Thailand, and these numbers are expected to grow.”

Through Pinkoi Chatbox, consumers can chat directly with designers, and even request customised items. Through the Pinkoi Window, designers can set up their own personal web page, while the Pinkoi Zine features news about designers. The Pinkoi Wall offers gift ideas and design inspirations.

Opal Mahavana and Koranis Nettayanuwat, who co-own WhiteOakFactory, a Thai company that creates faux-leather bags, say they have sold 4000 items through Pinkoi since joining it two years ago. “We’ve been able to reach an international market that values individuality and smaller brands, giving us a presence outside of our localised community.”

While Pinkoi is focussed on China, Hong Kong, Japan and the US, and now Thailand, it has a presence in 88 countries. It has 1.6 million members and has sold 3.7 million items.

Today, 8000 shops on its website and app platforms offer about 860,000 products, retailing in five languages and 12 currencies.

Designers reap 90 per cent of sales revenues.