There are marketplaces a dime a dozen, why do we need another marketplace?
This question is obvious when you look at muZlim Market and of course we asked ourselves the same. Originally, we sold our customers standalone stores, as a stand-alone installation under their own domain. But then smaller merchants came forward, who either just wanted to get on their feet with their business, or who ran their business as a hobby and were very motivated to do so. And then, of course, there are those who say “I have no idea about technology, but my boss said I should think about opening an e-shop”.
All of the merchants were already present on other large and well-known marketplaces, but all of them complained about the complexity and harsh conditions there. Among other things, these top dogs take a lavish chunk of commission, so it’s hardly worth it for small merchants to do business there.
Alle Händler waren bereits auf anderen großen und bekannten Marktplätze vertreten, aber alle beschwerten sich über die Komplexität und die harschen Bedingungen dort. U.a. nehmen diese Platzhirsche einen üppigen Batzen an Provision ein, so dass es sich für kleine Händler kaum lohnt, dort Geschäfte zu machen.
So we said to ourselves: let’s make our own marketplace!
However, since we are Muslims, we have special guidelines that we need to follow in a marketplace:
Fairness towards the customer
The customer must not be cheated, deceived or defrauded in any way. How can you ensure such a thing? Actually not at all. Because there are such and such traders. But if a problem arises, we as a marketplace operator must be available in an uncomplicated manner and get to the bottom of the matter. That’s why we don’t operate call centers in Asia (and we won’t in future inshallah), we don’t have any annoying chat bots, but you can call us, write to us or even reach us directly via WhatsApp. This may sound like a hackneyed saying because it is often used in the corporate environment, but: We take such messages very seriously.
Fairness towards the seller
We don’t take a 20-30% commission from the seller, we only take 10% to pay for our operating and staffing costs. We don’t take one time revenue fees or recurring fees. Just that 10%. And only after a sale has taken place. Before that, we operate completely out of our own pocket.
We also don’t leave the seller alone with his store here on muZlim Market, but help him on as many levels as possible. From technical to commercial support. We even sometimes take over the making of a seller’s product images or teach them how to make good product images themselves.
Fair trade conditions
We find it at least questionable to call a product “pure and clean” if humans and other living beings have been exploited or wronged during its production or in the supply chain. That’s why we also pay attention to who we allow to be a retailer here and where their products come from. We don’t want cheap junk for which some people from far away countries had to slave their health and were paid miserably for it. Of course, this limits the seller selection today clearly, but it is worth it to us.
And we have hope that there are still many distributors of clean products out there. We would like to give them a good neighborhood here.
Prices are from Allah
Therefore, we do not interfere in any way with the pricing policy of the sellers. Our sellers determine everything themselves, the prices of their products and also their shipping costs.
Open for all
In a Muslim marketplace, everyone is allowed to buy and sell. This is not limited to faith or worldview. The fact that we are called muZlim Market only means that, in addition to the strict consumer rights that apply here in Germany, we have our own principles (see above) that benefit both buyers and sellers.
Conclusion
We start very idealistically, we are aware of that. And our team is only 3 men strong, who also have to manage other projects. But you never know if something is possible if you don’t try it out.