Take the leap of faith
In the middle of Orchard Plaza, the chatter and excitement of people can be heard at Ssaltythrifts. A well-sought-after thrift shop for youths or individuals who are looking to spice up their wardrobe.
Source: @ssaltythrifts on Instagram
The echoes of words and gossip spoken by girls who were there to have a chance at grabbing a trending obsession - NFL jerseys, as Ssaltythrifts shares its story on how a passion grew into a successful and influential business.
The owner of a popular thrift store, Ssaltythrifts, Jenevieve Ow, 22, is currently waiting to pursue her University studies The business first started in September 2020 as an online store, and opened its first physical store located in Orchard Plaza in May 2023. In November 2023, she opened a second physical store five units away from the original one.
The business started when she had an idea and a goal in mind to encourage the use of second-hand fashion, as a Year One Arts Business Management student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
“Ssaltythrifts is like a curated vintage shop where we mostly try our best to hand-select everything. We try to bring in trendy and timeless pieces that are used to encourage people to shop sustainably.”
The same passion that first started her career in this industry can still be seen as she shares about her business, experiences, and struggles.
“At the start, it was more difficult as I was sourcing locally so it took a lot of my effort, because I had to physically go down to places and hand-pick the pieces, and I was still schooling back then so it was tougher, but now because I am on my gap year, it is a bit easier. Now, I mostly source from the USA and Europe but it is still very time-consuming.”
Juggling school assignments, Jenevieve shared how she grew her business to where it is today, and that the experience has helped her elevate and develop her skillsets and grow as a business owner.
“I learnt how to be more patient and tolerant as I have to teach my part-timers how to manoeuvre and operate the shop. I have to wash all the vintage clothes. In addition, I learnt how to deal with different types of customers and their enquiries.”
Source: FEMALE Magazine
With 24,000 followers on Instagram, Ssaltythrifts has received many opportunities for growth and expansion. It was featured in FEMALE magazine about Singapore is evolving into a secondhand fashion haven, interviewed by other minor news outlets, and held multiple pop-up shops in Singapore and Malaysia.
This provided Jenevieve with opportunities to converse and connect with other shop owners in the community. However, with every silver lining comes a cloud.
Jenevieve pondered deeply as she shared her feelings on the common misconception that most individuals have about starting a business in the industry.
People tend to think that it is relatively easy to start and own a thrift store as the concept focuses on sourcing clothes to be sold. However, individuals forget the amount of effort, money, and research needed to be put into the business, for it to flourish.
“People may feel that my prices are too expensive but I think they don't understand how much effort it takes to run the business. There’s a lot of things to be accounted for, other than just the clothing, you have to pay rent and electricity. The number of hours I put into washing, drying, and tagging the clothes, and of course, I need to pay my part-timers.”
With all the success, Jeneveive shared that her future business plans will be to collaborate with Malaysian brands and hopefully branch out into areas like Kuala Lumpur in June.
She shared that she would love to continue the business for a long time but due to the instability of the ever-changing market, this would only be considered a side hustle to her as she hopes to get a degree and master's so she could find a more stable job.
According to the recent ThredUp 2023 Resale Report, the thrifting industry is expected to reach $479 billion by 2027. Hence, many youths are considering hopping on the hype and starting their own business as an easy way to earn money.
As someone who has been in the business and industry for three years, Jenevieve shared her advice for individuals looking to follow the same route in starting their own business.
“I’d say take the leap of faith but also do your research to study the market first and know what you're doing. Don't rush into making quick decisions but also do more research. Take any opportunity you can.”
