We’ve heard the pitch before, about how practically every branded item you buy these days come out from a handful of factories in China. The markups in the Iuiga store, as a product, go from the factory to the branding stage, to the logistics partner, and then finally to the retailer push prices up by as much as 10 times.
One of the industries that this exercise is most prevalent in is the childcare and baby industry. New parents naturally want the best for their children. Often they go on irrational shopping sprees where it seems like the higher the price tag, the better a product must be.
Hidden Markups and Cost
Marketers exploit this because after all, businesses are in it for the profit. Singaporean mother Jaslyn Chan got tired of these hidden markups and decided to go straight to the manufacturers, and the result is IUIGA store. A retail store that sells the baby, home and lifestyle products sourced directly from the factories.
Called the ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) business model, the aesthetics and patented technologies used in the manufactured products are developed by the factories themselves. Because no single brand owns the rights to the product. They simply get the right to get the product to carry their logos. And the markups in costs that go with it.
What IUIGA store does its work directly with the factories to import the products and get them directly to the customer. An interesting point to note that the website clearly states what other brands the factories produce for.
To see if the quality is as good as claimed, we got a bunch for feeding my 20-month old toddler as a road test.
Some Best Cost Efficient Products from Iuiga Store!
The Skylar Mini Bowl Feeding Mat (S$17.80), Soft Tip Silicone Baby Feeding Spoon (S$5.80), and Easy Bubz Food Containers (S$12.80). These were my chosen tools to teach my toddler to feed himself.
The branded items from EZPZ, Nuk, and NUBY respectively would have cost double the price paid. And I know this because the IUIGA retail website states which factories these were made in and how much their branded counterparts cost at retail.
The six-pack food containers are freezer and microwave friendly, close airtight and store in a tray for easy carrying and sorting. Very helpful for my pre-made meals, or even snack storage on the go.
It pairs nicely with the feeding mat and bowl, which sticks to any smooth surface. Thankfully I have a glass-topped dining table, and once in place, it’s really stuck down. An adult can carefully lift a corner though, and then the bowl and mat combo comes off the table easily.
Teaching Your Son to Feed Himself is a Messy Process!
Well, at at least there’s no danger of the bowl tipping over, and the silicone spoon is soft, safe and strong. Young toddlers still have a habit of occasionally chewing on the spoon. And it’s good to know that the silicone spoon is built to withstand the gnawing of little teeth.
The real surprise about the whole deal is that the quality of the items. These are right on par with what I’ve been paying up to twice the amount at brand name stores for. IUIGA store is not kidding around like other shopping hotspots when it comes to delivering the goods. All these savings add up over time, and with a fuss-free online catalog, ordering is as easy as it gets.
At the moment, there is a small IUIGA store in operation at the Signpost Centre in Paya Lebar, but it only retails a tiny amount of what its vast catalog has to offer. Still, have any doubts about ordering? a visit to check out the quality of the items will be a confidence-inspiring trip.
For more information, please visit www.iuiga.com
