Mariposa expands into online trading
Mariposa founder/owner Tracey Brignole says going online is a logical way of going national, even international. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
Clothing and footwear company Mariposa is again expanding—this time into online sales with its new website <www.mariposaclothing.co.nz>.
Owner Tracey Brignole says she and her Takaka staff have spent a dedicated winter creating the website, which involved photographing and cataloguing virtually every item in the store.
“We underestimated the process about a million percent. My shop manager Keryn did all the photoshop editing, but in the end we had to employ a photographer as well. All in all it was a huge chain process, pulling stock, ironing every item before we photographed it, then putting it all back again.”
Tracey says the move online is a logical way of going national, even international. She originally set up Mariposa five years ago at 49 Commercial Street before moving it into the bigger premises it occupies now at number 37. Expansion has been steady, with 10 people now employed. Four years ago she set up another Mariposa in Hardy St, Nelson, before opening the “sister footwear store” Soul, back at number 49 where it all started.
Tracey travels to Asia two to three times a year to source stock. “Many products are designed specifically for the stores now, rather than getting it off the racks like a lot of buyers do. Being involved in all the buying and shipping means we can cut out the middleman and keep prices down.” Feedback is saying they are becoming a national leader in original funky clothing.
“We all really love what we do. A lot of hard work goes into keeping the service standard high.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
