Background: To enable some members to sell their personal items on the SHC forum, we had started the SHC online Fleamart. This Post begins each month, and members can sell their personal items. Jassmine Teo was leading this project. We started with no picture, and the IT guys have added picture capability to the Posts and later t the comments. The usage of this service varies from one to 5 items per month. Corporate or business items were excluded in the month online fleamart. The online fleamart had stopped recently due to inadequate response and lack of members volunteering to lead and follow up each month.
There was good interest among members for the physical Fleamart. From feedback, we had a few fleamarts, and the result range from so so to successful. The last fleamart was held at Civil Service Sports Club.
Last few years, we had feedback to set up and gather a group to buy and sell in bulk. The ideas toyed around, but there was insufficient interest. I guess the thinking was that it is easier to buy from the suupermarket, than to harnesss a group to buy in bulk. Maybe there is the logistic difficulty. But, we keep this idea fresh and on-going, and if the item is workable, let’s pick it up again.
There has always been interests by some members to sell their corporate items. The items vary. The members who are interested are those with products and services, ideally suited to seniors and their elderly family members. Various groups within SHC have met to discuss online selling; setting up a website, use of available shopping portals eg eBay, gumtree, etc. There were talks on delivery difficulties, collection of payment, and the type of products and services to be offered. But, I guess the various groups did not take off their ideas, due to varied interests, concerns with starting an online business as most of us are no long as young as we thought, funding and fear of the long process in setting up an online shopping business.
iShop@SHC, a SilverHairs Enterprise project for 2015
We are all still dreaming, even though we may be young. Well, if you have still the idea of running an online shopping business, dont give up., I think there is sufficient interest among some members, and I have asked my India guys to help set up a simple online shopping service called “iShop@SHC”. Due to the legality and business nature, “iShop@SHC” will be operated under SilverHairs Enterprise Pte Ltd. iShop@SHC will be a project of SilverHairs Enterprise, and is not intended to be a money losing project, unlike events and activities under SilverHairs Club which usually loses money.
Our India IT guys have just completed iShop@SHC. The project starts with Adult diapers, and today, it has only 4 items. The online shopping will be promoted in SHC and in newspapers and other media in Singapore. It features payment collections via paypal, credit card, ATM transfer and internet banking. The delivery portion is still in progress and limited; but I hope it will grow as we go along. URL SilverHairs-Enterprise.org.
A few members, who have their own products and services, have been discussing with me to use iShop@SHC. If you are interested to sell your products or services as a business, especially to seniors and elderlies, please contact me via Whatsapp. Think about your products or services, pictures, pricing, your competition, payment, banking procedures, storage of your products, orders handling, delivery and modes of communicating with your buyers and delivery team.
For a start, we have started with adult diapers, and the product identified is CERTAINTY Adult diapers, from Thailand. This is an operational service. If you like to run your own online shopping services under iShop@SHC, please understand the workings of the portal iShop@SHC.
Thank you to the members who have helped to test the service and offered ideas on test iShop@SHC.
Terence Seah
I support this idea.
How do members sell their products and services?
Are there prohibited items like liquors, tobaccos & ‘weapons’?
Any commission levied on items sold?
Hi James,
For personal products and services, you can use the Online Fleamart. We have stopped it as we did not have sellers. Your products are subject to further info but due to lack of details, please write to admin@silverhairsclub.com.
For members who are in business, or planning to start an online shopping business, have a regular product to sell, caters to the elderly and seniors, and is able to provide a receipt to the buyer, very likely we can accept the product in ishop@SHC.
Interested members can write to admin for further discussion.
Terence Seah
Here are some pieces of information when using paypal as your payment for online shopping business.
Latest update:
Paypal charges 3.9% of the price of your goods + $0.50 SGD. This amount sits in the paypal account, and can be withdrawn and credited to your bank in Singapore.
Some members have asked, and I thought this is interesting information, because payment services are not free. We are still learning, and if anyone has used paypal before, please share your experiences.
Terence Seah
How to buy online for this adult diapers… I am more keen to buy pull pants for my mum… Cheers…. Dolly
Hi DollyL,
Ishop@SHC is now alive and operating. On the right column of SilverHairsClub.com, there is an advertisement of diapers.
Click on it and choose the diapers. Payment can be paypal. Crédit card VISA and ATM/Internet fund transfer.
Price is good and delivery is only $6.
I hope more members can join ishop@SHC. URL silverhairs-enterprise.org.
Terence Seah
Hi Terence,
Browse thru ishop but regret to say that the price quoted is on high side as compared to the same brand that I brought from JB.
Regards,,, Dolly
Hi Dolly,
I would like to find the right price for the adult diapers, as there is a strong demand among the elderlies. We considered the pricing after looking at all the costs and the prices. We also look at convenience and delivery at $6.
For members who are thinking of venturing into an online business, you may want to tap into ishop@SHC.
Dolly, can u tell me what is the price of the same brand, size and price in JB?
Terence Seah
Terence,
What ishop is selling online right now is the same brand that my mum is using right now. I am only looking at drypants (Size L) to be more precise. What I am buying now at JB Aeon is RM$22.50/pack, assuming that exchange 1S$ to 2.60RM$, equivalent to ard $8.65 and most important is that I dont need to buy bulk at this price. I will not want to factor in $6 dlvy charge since I am in JB not only to get drypants only.
FYI, Certainity Drypants (Size M) – which my dad used to use before he passed on, are selling at a much cheaper price as compared to Size L but for ishop, these 2 are of the same price.
Not so sure about diapers’ price comparison though as both parents dont like to wear diapers as cited by them is that diapers are hardly to secure in place for them eventhough they are much much cheaper as compared to drypants.
Hope these info are useful to you.
Cheers… Dolly
Hi Dolly,
Thank you on the feedback on buying adult diapers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to bring the prices down. With the weakening of the Malaysian Ringgit, and your weekend shopping for all the goodies all at one go, it makes sense to shop in JB.
iShop@SHC will continue to offer adult diapers to seniors and the elderlies, and bringing convenience to families with elderlies at home. We will keep prices competitive in Singapore.
Terence Seah
ishop@SHC has been created for SHC members who wish to enter online business, with the purpose of making some money. If you are planning to sell products online, please feel free to contact me via whatsapp at +65 94894360.
^^ The selling platform has been tested and is available for use.
^^ The payment platform via paypal, credit card and ATM/Bank transfer is also completed and ready to use.
^^ A large team of delivery personnel is also available for use.
If you are interested and share in the load of selling your products online, your costs will be minimal.
Some members have introduced friends and bought Adult diapers, our first product, via ishop@SHC. Sofar, it has kicked off slowly with ishop@SHC selling 12 cartons of adult diapers. I like to encourage members to support ishop@SHC; and also for more entrepreneur members to start a small online shopping business.
Project ishopSHC will continue to be offered to SHC members. This project operates under the umbrella of SilverHairs Enterprise Pte Ltd. More products will be announced from time to time.
Terence Seah
Our iShop@SHC has been running for the last 2-3 months. The Adult diapers are sold online; and todate, we sold about 148 cartons. Our learning process indicates there is a high demand for adult diapers, especially when young adults buy for their parents. And especially so when Adult diapers are bulky. Selling online, with payment via paypal, credit card, ATM and internet banking makes selling easy. So, pre-payment is not a problem.
Advertising and promotions are expensive costs when it comes to online selling. Just having a website does not bring buyers to the online store.
But, the biggest problem with bulky items is delivery. Buyers come from all over Singapore. We have more than 100 delivery boys, ready to deliver. Most of the delivery boys prefer to work at night, after 6pm. Sat/Sun are also popular with delivery boys. Most have their own vans or motorcycles. The delivery boys pick up the cartons from Hougang, and they delivery direct to the buyer’s home. Once delivered, the delivery boys will take a phone picture shot of the delivery order and sms the picture to us. Payment for delivery service is made within 1-2 days.
When we started, about 10 SHC members wanted to use iShop@SHC. Most were interested to sell supplements. Many prefer to just promote their products with iShop@SHC, and leave the marketing, selling, delivery and collection with iShop@SHC. As we have minimal resources, nothing has been concluded so far.
Now, with a few months of experience, I have noticed online selling is a challenging business. Easier said than done. I am glad we have kicked off this project, having run for a few months. My target is 100 cartons a month. Some buyers are SHC members.
Thanks to a number of members, especially Jassmine and Hew Lee who have over the years raised the subject of online selling as a possible business opportunity. For those who had participated in discussions before, and would like to do their own online business, feel free to discuss them here or whatsapp me. iShop@SHC can be seen at SilverHairs-Enterprise.org.
Terence Seah