This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
Victory Opiyo, a 25-year-old fashion stylist and owner of Vickey's Collections, a second-hand clothes business, has come a long way from her childhood dreams of becoming a radio presenter.
Published on August 17, 2019, by Carolyne Munano, this article delves into Victory's journey, from selling clothes in her village to running a successful business with a chain of stores in her future plans.
Victory started selling clothes when she was in Standard Five, living in Siaya with her mother and siblings. She would visit her father in Kariobangi during holidays and sell her nice dresses to other girls in the village upon her return.
However, she never thought of clothes or fashion as a career. Instead, she aspired to be a radio presenter, as she was a 'chatterbox.'
Her father's passing after she completed high school changed her plans. She pursued a CPA course in Nairobi and got a job at a boutique as a saleslady, which she loved.
When the employer closed the shop, Victory decided to start selling baby clothes online and opened a Facebook page, 'Baby daily Outfits,' to market the clothes. She gained valuable experience in running a business online.
She then got a job at an auditing firm in Westlands, where she saved a minimum of Sh2,000 monthly, which she used as capital for her business.
After one year, Victory resigned and used her savings to buy her first bail at Gikomba market and opened up a shop in Kawangware, on Naivasha road, in 2017.
Her first batch of stock was women's clothes, which she later branched out into the sale of men and children clothes on the OLX platform and her WhatsApp.
Victory attributes her success to great marketing, which has helped her acquire a large number of clients, mostly the middle class in Nairobi and its environs.
However, she faces downtimes, especially during low demand seasons like January, and has to sometimes lower her profit margins.
Victory has also learned from her mistakes, such as buying a bail of Chinese ladies clothes that were mostly small sizes, which are still unsold.
Her advice to anyone selling clothes is to focus on customer value and not the money they are bringing in, as this will enable them to relate well with customers and make a good profit and acquire long-term clients.
Victory's big dreams include having a chain of stores in all counties in the country, offering affordable clothes to all, and establishing a foundation to give back to society.
