Who is www.Naijaweddings.net?
www.Naijaweddings.net is Nigeria's number one one-stop online wedding shop. We stock everything the bride needs from the Engagement all the way through to honeymoon lingerie.
After listening to our customer feedback, we are pleased to advise that we have a physical store in Lagos, where all the items we sell on our website are available to purchase on cash and carry.
Where are you based?
We have an online presence at www.naijaweddings.net and our physical shop is at;
Unit 1, 30 Ogunnusi Road
Omole Phase 1 bus top
Ojodu
Nigeria Number – 07094429379
UK Number - +44 7551 899111
How did you get into the bridal business?
I have been in the UK bridal business for a number of years now. It all started as a hobby. I had always had a flair for decorating and during a holiday to Nigeria in 2000, I was looking through City People Magazine and spotted an advert by a lady training people in balloon decoration. I attended the course and it all took off from there.
On my return to the UK, I attended further courses and I am a NABAS certified UK balloon artist.
I continued to decorate events in my spare time and 4 years ago we started a linen & party hire company which is now one of UK’s most popular hire companies.
Over the years, I have been asked to decorate a number of events in Nigeria and a lot of people used to ask me where I got my table centers, table décor, party supplies etc from and used to ask me to help them get specific items.
I also used to get a lot of requests from brides who wanted me to purchase particular bridal items for them and send it down to Nigeria. This all started gradually until I became overwhelmed with these requests and decided to start an online shop where people could easily purchase items.
The online shop worked quite well for most, but after listening to customer feedback I knew that many wanted a physical location where they could view the stock and pick what they wanted.
There was also the issue of payment as many people did not feel comfortable parting with their debit/credit card details on line.
What makes www.naijaweddings.net stand out amongst the rest?
Our customer service is impeccable. We do what we say we will do when we say we will do it.
Having run a successful business in the UK, I was used to doing things the right way. In my dictionary the customer is always right and my job is to ensure that every single customer who steps into my shop is treated like royalty.
The problem with some businesses is that once they start making money, they forget their beginnings. I don’t care if you are just window shopping or buying my most expensive wedding gown in our shop, every customer is treated as I would like to be treated.
Tell us about your products
What also makes us stand out is the quality of our products. I personally know where each and every single one of my products has come from. I don’t buy from third parties and in most cases I buy direct from the manufacturers. E.g. directly from TM Lewin, Ann summers, Boots, Marks & Spencer’s, Debenhams, Argos, Hawes & Curtis, Gucci etc
All of my bridal gowns are from big name designers such as Forever Yours, Eden Bridals, Alfred Angelo, Demetrious, Trudy Lee, Maggie Soterro, Bonny, Mori Lee, Vera Wang etc
You will never get a fake product in my shop and I do not sell what I won’t personally wear or use. It’s as simple as that.
What makes you different from other bridal shops?
We sell the whole package starting from before the wedding; so we sell cosmetics such as Elizabeth Arden, Clarins to make the skin look its best on the big day, We sell books written by popular and experienced authors on marriage, we then go on to the bridal attire and accessories including bridal lingerie, veils, fascinators etc we also stock other wedding day items such as confetti, guest books, register signing pens, engraved cocktail glasses etc.
Then unlike no other, we go the extra step of stocking honeymoon accessories such as honeymoon lingerie, just married bags, sunglasses etc and of course we sell adult honeymoon supplies such perfumed body lotions, lubes and other toys and we even go as far as selling pregnancy books & products. All this is under one roof.
Do you cater for the Groom as well?
We currently only offer a specific ordering service for grooms. So if a groom has a particular suit he wants, all he has to do is place an order and I will source it for him; however we stock men’s watches, Designer Perfumes, Designer Shirts, cufflinks, ties etc.
We are aiming to expand and in the future will be offering an off the rack suit service in the shop.
How has business been so far?
Business so far has been challenging but this is something we enjoy doing so we see challenges as positive and as ways of making us better at what we do.
What is the motivation for the business?
Our mission is to make the Nigerian bridal shopping experience as easy and stress free as possible by providing a one-stop wedding shop for all your wedding supplies.
What else do you do?
I am a florist so make and supply silk flower bouquets. My bouquets are classy and are made with the best silk flowers and are finished with embellishments such as diamantes, pearls and feathers etc
We also make and sell fans and we also have a few carefully selected vendors that we recommend in areas such as wedding planning, cake making, event decoration, catering services.
What is your unique selling point?
We have extensive experience in the UK wedding market, so have excellent customer service skills, which is something a lot of businesses lack in Nigeria.
We work with big corporate UK companies as well as individual brides & have a wealth of experience & knowledge of the wedding industry. We are also bringing to the market up to date themes, ideas and products, methods etc.
With www.Naijaweddings.net, gone are the days getting stuck in traffic and trawling shops looking for bridal gowns and wedding supplies and relying on friends and family abroad to purchase these items on your behalf.........You can now shop from the comfort of your home.
What are your Challenges?
Due to card fraud, a lot of people are reluctant to use their bank cards online. We have however managed overcome this by giving customers the option of paying directly into our bank account or visit the shop and buy their products, however we will like to use this opportunity to appeal to the banks and to the Government to put in more credit/debit card fraud prevention methods in place as this will benefit both customer & the business.
Who are your target clients?
Our prices are so reasonable, that anyone can get good bargains on our online or physical shop. We have had customers from all walks of life. A lot of people have also commented that buying form us is much cheaper than them traveling out of the country themselves and even cheaper than most of the bridal shops in Nigeria.
We carry out regular market surveys and I am yet to see anyone selling any of our products of the same quality anywhere near what we sell them for.
What are your plans for the next five (5) years?
By the Grace of God, we aim to continue to expand the business and fine tune what we do. It is good to open more branches and expand physically but it is better to be good at what you do because that is what keeps customers coming through the door. I would rather have happy customers with fewer branches that we can control rather than many branches with unhappy customers.
How do you see the wedding industry?
The wedding industry is very large and competitive. Brides and Grooms are more aware of what they want and are rightly asking for it.
This can only be a good thing because it keeps suppliers on their toes and it further enhances the industry. In response, suppliers who know their onions will continue to perfect their trade, be it cake decorating, catering etc and the creative ones will continue to reach great heights in the industry
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