Andable Puts the Social Back into Shopping
Announcement posted by Andable 10 Jul 2012
~ globally unique new online marketplace combines everyday & eclectic products with micro lending to support small businesses at home and abroad ~
Andable Puts The Social Back Into Shopping ~ globally unique new online marketplace combines everyday & eclectic products with micro lending to support small businesses at home and abroad ~
Sydney, July 10, 2012 – Consumers can now shop for thousands of beautiful products with every sale supporting a micro loan facilitated by Kiva, thanks to the globally unique launch of www.Andable.com.
Featuring everyday items through to the eclectic, from independent retailers and individuals, across 80+ categories, Andable is an easy and secure online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers, all while supporting a social mission at no cost.
From locally designed lampshades through to organic beauty care, handmade clothes and vintage collectibles, Andable has something for everyone, and anyone can set up a shop for free or buy with all transactions facilitated via credit card or Paypal.
Through Andable’s partnership with global non-profit organisation, Kiva, 10% of each purchase at point of sale goes to support a small business loan to a person in need abroad. As this is a micro loan, the money is repaid and Andable guarantees the 10% payment back to sellers after three months. The Andable marketplace is unique because buyers can shop, and sellers can set-up shops cost-effectively while partaking in a social movement, at no cost.
How the marketplace works:1. Sellers create a shop and list items, all for free.2. Buyer browses Andable.com and purchases directly from seller via credit card or Paypal.3. At point of sale, Seller receives 85% of the sales price.4. Andable receives 5% as commission.5. Micro loan fund gets 10% of every sales purchase, facilitated by Kiva.org.6. The micro loan gets repaid, and Andable pays sellers the 10% after three months, guaranteed. The seller is left with 95% of the sales price.
Currently, Andable offers everyday and unique items including accessories, health & beauty, home & garden, men’s & women’s wear, food, art, kids’ via sellers’ shops across six countries (NZ, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, US, and Canada). The marketplace is growing all the time as new shops and products are added every day.
To sell an item on Andable, sellers self-badge their items according to one or more FRESH badges, which are tools that shops can use to concisely tell the story of their products, and a way for buyers to browse by what’s important to them.
Products on Andable must be a little bit FRESH. FRESH stands for:
• Fair Trade or better business practices• Reborn – vintage, antique, recycled, upcycled• Eco-friendly• Support local business• Handmade
“We’re unbelievably excited to launch a global first where profit and social mission are equally important. It’s a win-win for everybody: buyers, sellers and borrowers. The more we grow, the more lives we change,” said Melissa Dean, Co-Founder of Andable. “Based on the tremendous support we’ve received from the community, it has made the marketplace vibrant. We know we’ve struck a chord proving that doing good can be good business.”
“Andable is the first online marketplace to use the Kiva platform to put profits to good use,” said Beth Kuenstler, Kiva’s VP of Marketing and Communications. “We see tremendous potential in for-profit business models that also enable consumers to get involved in micro lending.”
“Paypal and Andable have an aligned mission: both want to provide the tools to allow small business in Australia to flourish both cost-effectively and on an international stage,” said Steve Brennen, Marketing Director at Paypal.
Andable has been co-founded by Rupal Ismin, Melissa Dean and a development agency in Sydney called Interesting. The 10% mission was inspired by Rupal’s grandfather, who, despite growing up as an impoverished boy in India, always donated 10% of his income to charity.
For more information, or browse or sell, please visit www.andable.com