Serene Abbas & Narina Najm Take The Start-Up Plunge
Lebanon has always prided itself on its knack for entrepreneurship, a trend that seems to be picking up among young Lebanese behind a series of hip and creative start-ups. Serene Abbas and Narina Najm have set up their headquarters on the sixth floor of an office building in Manara, a neighborhood in Beirut overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The two young women met at the ad agency JWT before taking the start-up plunge. With their associate Jad Sarout they launched Raghunter in December 2012, an online search tool that provides shoppers with fashion items located in over 70 of Lebanon’s trendiest stores. “We wanted to provide an online service to the Lebanese fashion industry and add value to the shopping experience of consumers,” says Abbas. “To do that, we had to figure out some of the problems faced by fashion retailers and work on their online presence. We also catered to the needs of consumers who have a hectic life and see shopping as time consuming. We basically want to become their best shopping buddies.” Raghunter is gaining a presence, receiving about 500 visits per day, with 70 percent of viewers women and 30 percent men, mostly between the ages of thirteen and 34. The two entrepreneurs can expect their search tool to gain an even greater following having also launched an app which allows users to shop more efficiently by taking a quick look at prices, sizes and collections available at stores near their location. The Raghunter team collects items from stores and takes pictures before cataloguing them by price, size and colors available, as well as providing users with the location of the store. The two young founders explain they learned the ins and out of the Lebanese fashion market by conducting in-depth research and extensive interviews with both buyers and shop owners. “Most fashion retailers know they have to be online today, but can’t afford it,” says Abbas. “We offered to bring them this service for a smaller fee than a website would cost,” says Najm. “We are basically acting as their online marketing consultant by putting their collections online, referencing them and marketing them.” This is how Raghunter generates income. The Raghunter team has managed to attract a large array of clients from mid- to high-end brands by local designers or multi-brand stores. “Some of the fashion retailers we feature include Plum, G.S, Front Row, and Oddfish, as well as e-commerce stores such as Lebelik.com and YoungWilderness.com. However, international brands are hardest to get on board because such a project requires international approval,” explains Najm. In the next two to three years, the founders aim at growing Raghunter by setting up shop in other Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE. The founders are now hoping to raise $200,000 to expand their operations.
