Author’s blurb: As someone who’s not really into fashion (as seen from my pictures), I tend to gravitate towards brands that offer clothes that are comfy to me.
However, brands that I favour such as Uniqlo and Cotton On have apparel that is wildly pricey, costing an upwards of RM200 just for a jacket. This brings me to really question the value and worth of these branded clothes. How much are they really worth without that small label at the back?
And this is where affordable clothing stores such as Good2U step in. Simply put, they are an outlet store selling clothes that are label-less for smart shoppers who know the value of quality clothing.
It Shouldn’t Be About The Label
“Gen Zs prioritise pricing when shopping. We see a trend where people gradually focus on quality, price and brands last (in terms of importance),” said Gerrick, The Business Development Manager of Eastern Hope Sdn Bhd (parent company of Good2U).
There are a few outliers, with some shopping purely based on branding. Gerrick said people often emphasise on labels due to social acceptance, perception of quality and branding.
And this is exactly what Good2U wants to change.
“We want to let our shoppers know that you can purchase quality clothing without paying a high price. What we sell is exactly the same in terms of quality compared to the items being sold at branded stores.”
Gerrick’s opinions are not unfounded, they’re backed up by personal experience. After all, Good2U was founded by his father, who is also the founder of F.O.S and has more than 30 years of experience in the textile and fashion retail industry.
Now he is taking over the reins and responsibility to use Good2U to increase market acceptance towards quality products at affordable prices.
Getting Down And Resourceful With Clothing
The Good2U clothing chain does not manufacture their own products, instead, they obtain their clothing through sustainable means. They do this in 4 main ways.
1. Overrun Clothing
Overrun simply means extra. If a company were to sell a dress and orders 1,000 pieces, the manufacturer usually creates extras in case there are any damages or misprints.
If all 1,000 original pieces are good, the extra clothing will not be needed. So, Good2U steps in to purchase the remaining clothes that are still of quality, only with the label cut out.
2. Cancelled Clothing
Cancelled clothing are clothes that have either failed to meet completion date or in the wrong specification from what was ordered.
3. Closeout Clothing
Closeouts are clothes that they get from retailers that are emptying their stock for the coming season, or retailers that are facing hard times.
So instead of having unsellable stock, Good2U would come in and take clothes that are still in good quality.
4. Off-Season Clothing
As the name suggests, countries with four seasons often have to sell clothing depending on their season.
What if Brand X has an abundance of stock for Summer dresses but Winter comes along? Instead of incinerating the stock, Good2U takes in clothing fit for the Malaysian weather.
Gerrick assured us that the clothes they sell are not counterfeit, second-hand nor damaged. They go through a strict QC process when checking their products too.
Their products usually arrive in large containers and once it lands, they’ll unload everything and go through the products and sort out the damaged goods, then sort by colours, design, brand, and department.
After that, inferior products will be sold at extremely low prices ranging from RM1.00 to RM3.00. They’ll then go through the products again and perform price-tagging along with the second round of damage check.
How Much Cheaper Are Label-less Clothes?
In terms of pricing, there’s no doubt that Good2U’s products are a lot cheaper once the labels are cut off. Usually, it’s a minimum 30% difference but if you’re lucky, you can even find clothing that is up to 80% cheaper compared to the original price.
He then gave us an example: “For Brand X, we sell their polo tees at RM89 for one, RM150 for two and RM200 for three. Whereas the principal store of Brand X sells the polo tee at RM390 per tee.”
Size-wise, he told us that they stock clothing from XS to XXXL and more, but they generally sell clothes that are average and plus sizes, as most of their products are sourced from manufacturers producing for European countries.
Whenever they can, Good2U tries to get smaller sizes that suit Malaysians because locals are usually shorter and smaller sized compared to Europeans. Clothing styles are quite practical because Good2U focuses more on basic casual everyday apparel, as Malaysia is a hot and humid country.
They’ll also try to avoid clothes that are too revealing because they understand that generally, Malaysians are more conservative when it comes to fashion choices.
Giving Value To The Target Market That Matters
There is a specific segment of the population the Good2U targets: people who believe that labels are a luxury, not a necessity. These are the same shoppers who want clothes that look good, but prioritise value over branding.
Most of their customers are young adults and families who fall under the low to mid-upper income groups. Plus, kids grow up so fast, smart shoppers want clothes that look good but at budget prices that they can easily afford to replace.
Surprisingly, their customers also include tourists looking for a good deal, and who understand the value of clothing that Good2U is selling.
We want to let Malaysians know that we do not need to be defined by brands/labels. We are our own label and the best representation of our own brand. Ultimately, how we want to be perceived by others is not what brands we wear but how we style ourselves and present ourselves to the others, such as inner confidence, personality, and attitude.
– Gerrick Ho, The Business Development Manager of Eastern Hope Sdn Bhd
Adapting With The Circumstances By Going Online
Since the company first started back in June 2016, they’ve grown tremendously to 24 outlets to-date in Malaysia.
And they’re not slowing down yet. In fact, they’re still looking to expand into at least 50 stores in Malaysia, but he understands the pandemic is driving more businesses online and changes need to be made.
“No doubt online shopping has been growing recently, we have plans to launch our online store on Shopee on May 1, so that shoppers can purchase quality and affordable clothing even during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
After MCO lifts, Gerrick expects business to pick up but they’re unsure when it’ll return to normal. When push comes to shove, he said they’ll reduce unnecessary costs and maybe consolidate underperforming stores.
Bottom line: Personally, as someone who only shops from a few specific brands, I’m thinking of giving Good2U a chance when the MCO lifts and see if their products are actually what Gerrick described. If they’re comfy and cheap, it could very well be where I’ll do my shopping frequently.
Plus, he said that they have a good stock of large-sized clothing, which is just perfect for someone like me who’s on the larger side.
Featured Image Credit: Good2U
