My1stWish Finds Room to Grow with Amazon Webstore
Recouped 100% of startup costs in first 2 weeks
22% increase in conversion rate since January launch
60% decrease in site maintenance man hours
Company Information: My1stWish, my1stwish.co.uk
Powered by: Amazon Webstore & Selling on Amazon
Web Design by: 247 TopSeller
From the Railways to the Web
In 2008, My1stWish managing director, Tayyab Akhlaq, was working as an electrical engineer on the UK rail system. When a friend asked if he would help sell some excess merchandise online, he thought of it as a favor, not a career move. “We listed the items and within a couple of days, we had 20 to 30 sales,” says Akhlaq. “I realized that this was an opportunity.” Akhlaq’s father was in the footwear industry and supplied him with more merchandise to sell online. Within a few short weeks, My1stWish was born.
Taking Off the Technology Training Wheels
In its first year, My1stWish brought in close to £100,000. “Within 8 or 9 months, we had automated our listings,” says Akhlaq. “By year 2, we were selling on Amazon too.” At the end of year 2, their revenue had jumped to £1,000,000 and by year three, that number was over £3,000,000. They realized they needed an eCommerce solution that could handle their business’ rapid growth. “If you’re already selling on Amazon, it’s a natural next step to use Webstore,” says Akhlaq, whose team launched their site in less than six weeks. “And you manage both programs with one centralized dashboard. So if you know Selling on Amazon, you know Webstore.” While speed to market was important, they also needed a solution that
would accommodate plans to build the business into a complete online department store. “With Webstore, each category can be themed differently so the electronics section looks different than womens wear,” says Akhlaq. “This is not something that many solutions allow you to do. For us, it was a key feature.”
navigation is better. Our
customers can find what
they’re looking for.
Tayyab Akhlaq, Managing Director
Up, Up and Away
My1stWish.co.uk went live the first week of January, 2011, and in two weeks, they recouped 100% of their startup costs. Their Webstore is converting better than their old site, with a 22% hike in conversion rate. “Our customers are telling us that the shopping experience is better,” says Akhlaq. “Search is better; navigation is better; they can find what they’re looking for.”
