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Mary Nyambura is assisted by John Maina to pick a dress at a shop in Nairobi city centre. PHOTO | CHARLES KAMAU
By Mwikali Lati
With money, you do not need to hassle in order to get
all your shopping delivered to your doorstep right here in Nairobi.
Having your grocery shopping done for you and delivered to your home
started several years ago. All you needed to do was draw up a list and
get someone to run that errand for a fee, of course.
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But what happens when it comes to shopping for clothes,
which is a more personalised chore? Can you trust someone else to go out
there and get exactly what suits your fashion style? Apparently you
can. By engaging a personal shopper. This is a new trend that is
catching on quite fast in Kenya.
With a keen eye for fashion and its trends and the
skill to know what suits a particular body type, occasion and
occupation, the personal shopper is there to offer their service to the
busy middle- and upper middle class who are too busy stuck in an office,
meetings or running their own business to have time to shop yet they
still need to make a good impression.
“Both women and men are taking this chance of
having someone go out there and shop for them seriously. Many people do
not have time to go out in search of shops that sell suitable clothes.
Another challenge they face is not knowing locations to find these
clothes for different price points,” says Connie Aluoch of Connie Aluoch
Styling Management.
Most are women, between 28 and early 40s, both
single and married, who spend up to Sh50,000 a month on clothes and
accessories. In some cases this figure includes shopping for the whole
family.
“I believe people are now engaging personal
shoppers as there has been a noticeable increase in the accessibility of
fashion that is “mainstream” and not an outlandish or unnecessary
aspect. Fashion has become more personal and I think people have gotten
excited about their own possibilities within it and are keen to explore
their options,” says Trish Kinoti of Fig Leaf Tree, which offers
personal shopping and styling services with a focus on plus-size
fashion.
She explains that a personal shopper is an integral
part of this self-discovery journey, particularly if one is just
starting out.
“[A personal shopper is like] a reliable and
experienced partner who knows the countless options out there and
prevents you from getting overwhelmed by them, but still represents you
well. And even if one is already “experienced” there are always ways to
evolve and grow because the options are limitless.”
Charlotte Magayi of Harmy’s Shopping says that a
personal shopper saves time for a client because they make better
choices regarding style as well as save money because they know exactly
where to get the right outfit or accessory at an affordable price. And
also because most of these shoppers end up getting the items at a
reasonable price because they shop from the same outlets many times.
“Getting to know and understand a client’s taste
and preference can be challenging. So, I must first find out the places
they frequent, their dressing and hair styles, personality, what they do
for a living, their marital status, where they live and work as well
how much they are willing to spend,” says Charlotte.
The services includes wardrobe analysis and
management, shopping or sometimes an extra service like styling can be
requested. The charges are between Sh1,000 and Sh3,000 per hour while
others charge a flat rate of between Sh10,000 and Sh20,000 per day.
“I figure out the client’s preferences and tastes
by first doing an intensive sit-down consultation with them. I ask them
questions in order to gauge their past and current notions of what
fashion means to them, how they perceive themselves, and how they want
others to, their lifestyle realities and so on. This is a key component
of personal shopping because you need to make sure that you represent
the client as much as possible. After a while, you can evolve their
style to the next level essentially growing together,” says Trish.
Having good relationships with fashion designers
and boutique owners and a great knowledge of shops, the personal
shoppers are able to get items at discounts and exclusive access to new
stock.
However, a client has the right to send a shopper
to their favourite boutique or shop for a particular item. Connie shops
everywhere from second-hand markets, low, medium and high-end boutiques
to designer showrooms, but it still boils down to what the client is
comfortable spending money on and wearing.
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