“Shuttle carriers” told how they carry the sanction to Russia: “I take 10 percent from above”

Buyers, of course, did not appear today – they are actually direct descendants of the shuttles that drove from Russia and back in the 90s with huge checkered bags full of sheepskin coats, leather jackets and all kinds of fashionable rags. The new century dictates new conditions, and the sale of things brought “from there” has moved from Luzhniki and Cherkizovsky market to online marketplaces and social networks. The geography has also changed – today most of the buyers deal with the post-Soviet states: it is easiest to bring things from brands that left Russia from Kazakhstan. Sometimes you don’t even need to go there yourself, it’s enough to have a trusted person.

“Our services have become relevant not only after the sanctions. Experienced buyers know that brand collections for different countries are different, and there is always something that is not supplied to Russia due to the specifics of the market. Therefore, there was always a request to bring it from abroad, ”an experienced buyer named Daria said in an interview with an MK correspondent. – Recently, of course, the demand has grown for the products of mass-market brands that have left Russia. I help to buy exactly those things that a particular person liked.

— How is the transaction and delivery?

– Communication via messenger. For the buyer, everything looks quite simple: you need to write off the article numbers of the goods on the website of the necessary brands, then transfer money to me for the goods and delivery. Within three working days, I provide a track for tracking the parcel. For me, it’s a little more complicated. I get an order for specific items, like Zara shoes and an H&M T-shirt. I work 100% up front. The markup on the goods is 10% of the cost already in the converted currency (rubles). The average purchase amount, excluding shipping and my percentage, is 20 thousand rubles. It is unprofitable to order for smaller amounts. Delivery with a check of 20 thousand, depending on the size, comes out 2-3 thousand rubles. I make 3-4 postal items a week, which is enough to beat off the services of an intermediary in Kazakhstan.

– What kind of intermediary in Kazakhstan?

“My relatives live there, they help and get paid for it. This is a family business. In Kazakhstan, there are almost all brands that have left Russia, and, as a rule, there are no problems with ordering this or that thing.

According to Daria, she does not strive to be a wholesale dealer, because what one likes, another will not like. Of course, resellers have a lower percentage and delivery is cheaper, but instead of one jacket and three pairs of shoes, you will have to order from ten units – this is not always profitable. Therefore, her choice is targeted work with orders from specific people. Sometimes, according to Daria, you can take goods from closed auctions, rare collectibles.

Exchange and return are not provided for in such a scheme: it is assumed that a person is familiar with the brand and knows exactly what size he needs. In addition, it is recommended to read the reviews of other buyers: is it small, are there any complaints about the quality of the fabric, etc. But there are nuances here.

“If we missed a marriage at the stage of purchase, I enter into a position and return 50% of the cost of the goods with its return shipment,” Daria explains. Everything else, alas, cannot be played back.

Although with the help of a buyer you can buy almost everything that is presented in the official catalogs of your favorite brands, the lion’s share of the charm of the mass market with this scheme of work goes away. After all, young people loved stores like Zara, first of all, for the opportunity to wander around the trading floor, pick up a pile of things in the fitting room, spin around in them in front of the mirror without haste … and go to the checkout with a single blouse or dress. Now it won’t work like that: with the help of a buyer, it’s convenient to buy, perhaps, your favorite and long-tested model of jeans from a bygone brand, but not impulsive new clothes. Whims like “no, it seems not quite my color” or “the waist is too high here” will be inappropriate.

An alternative option is shopping on marketplaces: there you can just turn around in the fitting room (at the point of issue of orders) and take 2-3 sizes or colors to choose from. Marketplaces are also chosen by buyers – the owner of his own store, Nikita Maslyuk, told the MK correspondent about this.

— Back in 2019, I started ordering things from abroad that you can’t get in Russia, for example, some rare collectibles or goods of brands that didn’t even come to the Russian Federation. He began to get his friends what they asked for. This is how the idea to start my own business was born, and the easiest option nowadays is to rent a warehouse and sell online, and this is how my path as a buyer began. My first delivery fell at the beginning of the pandemic: during the general isolation, people began to turn to online services more often, which used to be accompanied by some kind of distrust.

According to the buyer, the simplest and most popular niche is women’s and children’s clothing: most of the audience consists of girls aged 18-35. The size grid is standard, from XXS to XL. As he admits, his wife helps Nikita with the choice of models for ordering.

— I order only what I like: things are always fashionable and practical, made, of course, from high-quality fabrics. I try to pick up actual things that you will wear all seasons. The emphasis is on the base, from which you can assemble cool images. Everything matches everything. I try to cover the entire female audience. In the store everyone will find something to their taste and budget. For example, the famous goose foot cardigan or, as it is also called, “houndstooth”. This black and white combination was created in Scotland, the birthplace of checks, and has become a favorite of many fashion houses. Will cost in my store only 1200 rubles.

The procurement algorithm, according to Nikita, is simple: first, the goods are ordered at a giant market, most often deliveries from Turkey, China and Vietnam. After that, each product is packaged and labeled. They check for defects and send them to the marketplace. By the way, he takes a commission for the operation of the warehouse, but you can do without it – your own courier can bring the goods to the point of issue of orders. The buyer’s commission for each item is about 20%, and he receives the money once a week.

— Sanctions have increased delivery times. Now the delivery of goods from China and Turkey takes a month and a half, before the goods arrived within 15 business days. Therefore, I am gradually switching to cooperation with suppliers from Russia. In Russia, things are sold plus or minus at the same price, while goods from China and Turkey are pegged to the currency, and these are the risks of fluctuations in the exchange rate, which affects the price of the goods. But still, China and Turkey turned out to be many times more profitable than cooperation with Russian dealers,” explains the buyer.

He advises potential buyers, and not only his own, to read reviews more carefully and not be afraid to ask questions to the seller. The goods must be immediately checked for the presence of marriage, and better – try on; If there is such an opportunity, you should use it. If the product did not suit you after trying it on, the money will be returned on the day of return, there will be debits from the card only for the delivery of the goods back to the warehouse, which is about 50-100 rubles per unit. However, some buyers in this case behave dishonestly.

— There was an unpleasant incident back in 2021. I have a trial collection of women’s shoes in my store. Each pair of sneakers came with a box, dust bag and key chain as a gift. And what did the buyers do? They ordered, allegedly tried on, and then dragged the gifts they liked. Of course, it was more difficult to sell these sneakers without anthers and in broken boxes later. Imagine: the photos showed sneakers in a box and with a key chain, and people came in plastic bags! Of course, the rating of my store was falling. Now the word “sneakers” makes me tremble.