Get Bangkok’s Chatuchak and Platinum Mall’s best buys ... without a plane ride

SINGAPORE — Now you can buy your fashion and decor items from Bangkok’s Chatuchak market and Platinum Mall — without going there. It’s all thanks to new start-up Zilingo, which connects the smaller retailers in local markets through its app. Yep, you can get your sunglasses, frocks and even a cat-shaped lamp retailing in Bangkok delivered to you.

“We have around 2,000 sellers across Singapore and Thailand, and we’re looking at Indonesia next. We have shops that sell exclusively online as well as ones that have brick and mortar outlets, too,” said Bose, the co-founder of the one-year-old site.

“The products that you see on the site and app have been curated by our stylists and when you go deeper, you’ll be able to sort pages of products by popularity, trends and price.”

Bose was partly inspired to set Zilingo as she personally loves shopping at local markets whenever she travels. “My favourite items have been purchased while travelling, like a pair of very chic, statement earrings purchased at the Cicada market in Hua Hin.”

Q: What do you think is Zilingo’s advantage over other apps such as Carousell or blogshops?

A: Zilingo is a Business-to-Consumer marketplace for longtail fashion and lifestyle. What that means is small businesses and sellers sign up with us for access to our seller ecosystem — inventory management, pick-up scheduling, logistics, analytics, reports and working capital loans to name a few features of our system. We have always been seller-first, and most fashion sellers see a huge advantage being part of this ecosystem. In that sense, we don’t compete with Consumer-to-Consumer platforms or with blog shops at all. For buyers, we put in extra effort, with artificial intelligence-powered recommendations, image search, product discovery and the like to surface the best, most relevant products to our customers.

Q: What do you like most about shopping at local markets such as Chatuchak? Do you think the pleasure will be lost with an app like Zilingo?

A: I particularly love how there are localised products that can all be found in one place in these markets. It’s not your Westernised global brands that standardise everything and don’t resonate with the locals. Shopping in these markets is a really refreshing experience. At Zilingo, we try to incorporate these buzz factors into the online shopping experience. We don’t think about replacing the shopping experience as much as adding to it. You can’t always find the time and energy to immerse yourself in an experience like shopping (in these local markets) in person, but with Zilingo you can do it every day.

Q: Where are some of best markets you recommend shopping at in the region?

A: If you’re on a weekend getaway to Bangkok, there are obviously the usual suspects of Chatuchak, Platinum and the lesser-known Union Mall. However, the flea market culture is booming in Bangkok and you should also check out Artbox at its new location around Chatuchak as well as the New Rot Fai Market at the Thai Cultural Center MRT. There are some spectacular product selections with great live music and hip vibes. If you’re in Jakarta, Pasar Baru is an easy pick with its array of textile products, watches, and shoes.

Q: Lastly, where is your favourite shopping destination in the world?

A: For brands I’d say Milan, hands down; for indie labels Bangkok is my absolute favourite. In most countries, including Singapore, the indie label scene is always very interesting and worth exploring. SERENE LIM