Startup Story

Shaden Abushaera, founder of HeraCloset Online, knows what her customers want when looking for clothing that meets their lifestyle needs. Her dream was simple; to create a new world of self-expression for independent local artists and to help them sell their creations in a meaningful way.

LoA chatted to Shaden Abushaera this month to find out more.

What does your company do?

HeraCloset focuses on helping customers discover, shop and share the latest products and trends. Amazing finds. Expert tips. Fresh, fast and at your fingertips. In other words, HeraCloset is an online platform that connects customers with their local brands. It's a place where shoppers can discover their local brands and sellers can sell their products. HeraCloset is a platform for emerging brands and inspired goods made for women. It’s a place where you can launch a custom store and discover local artisans, offering one-of-a-kind products not available on the market elsewhere. We want to create a home for brands with stories to tell. Brands you’ll want to know about because of what they stand for. Whether you are here to buy or to sell, we are pleased to offer a healthy online business environment that meets your needs and desires.

“HeraCloset is an online platform that connects customers with their local brands. It's a place where shoppers can discover their local brands and sellers can sell their products.”

“My dream is to create a new world of self-expression for independent designers and to help them sell their creations in a meaningful way.”

What inspired you to start your company?

Because I know how challenging it is to pursue your dream and to start your own business. And because what I fear and hate the most is the unfulfilled opportunities. I decided that I am no longer accepting the status quo. The dream was simple; to create a new world of self-expression for independent local artists and to help them sell their creations in a meaningful way. Today, I am inviting you all, dynamic and diverse people to face challenges head-on, and all while empowering each other to shape the future we all want to see. The idea I had in mind when starting HeraCloset is that people have become impatient and want quick results from everything in their lives. This is because of all the gadgets and rapidly advancing technology that have engulfed our lives. Customers want high-quality service that is efficient and does not waste their precious time. It is this thinking that gave birth to the concept of HeraCloset in my mind.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

1. HeraCloset tries to fill the vacuum

There is no doubt that e-commerce has developed at a very fast pace in the Greater Middle East region, but it is also a fact that there is huge potential in this industry. Even in real-world stores, there is a dearth of Arabic clothing to fulfil the requirements of the customers. If one looks at the vast region of the Middle East and GCC, they find that there is no single platform dedicated to serving the customers searching for Arabic and Khaleeji Fashion.

2. It is a complete shopping experience

To make selling easy for the local brands, we have streamlined all the processes. This includes providing seamless logistics and highly secure payment options. We also market their products aggressively. The best part of the deal is that these local brands are not required to manufacture and store products on a huge scale as we give them sufficient time to prepare the orders we have accepted from our customers. This allows our partner brands to take stock of the situation and know which of their designs are selling in large numbers. We provide them with a statistics dashboard to know which of their products are being clicked and purchased by our customers more than others.

3. With Value-added services, success will be inevitable

At HeraCloset, we have made every effort to ensure a pleasing shopping experience for our customers. Towards this end, we have installed a highly secure payment gateway. We also offer multiple payment options to our customers like PayPal, COD, bank transfer, and so on. These efforts are much appreciated by our vendors as they get a chance to spread their reach on a global level.

“HeraCloset is a platform for emerging brands and inspired goods made for women. It’s a place where you can launch a custom store and discover local artisans, offering one-of-a-kind products not available on the market elsewhere.”

Tell us a little about your team

Our Team is made up of :
Me, Shaden Abushaera - Founder
Rana Yagmour - Creative director (Partner)
Aya Massrrii - Fashion blogger and fashion designer ( Partner )

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I am Shaden, 33 years old. I can define myself as a Mom, Feminist, and Entrepreneur. I simply look at fashion as an art. My dream is to create a new world of self-expression for independent designers and to help them sell their creations in a meaningful way. In Ancient Greek mythology, Hera represents women, nurturing and watchfulness, while possessing luxury and beauty.

HeraCloset was launched in October 2018 with 10 local brands that were being shipped all over the UAE. Today, there are more than 80 brands selling on our Platform and products are being shipped globally. We launched HeraCloset with 5 Categories which are Women, Kids, Lifestyle, and Organic Lovers. Taking into consideration what has succeeded the most we decided to pivot to be specialized in apparel and to focus as a niche market on Arabic Clothing and Khaleeji style.

We are excited and happy with the kind of response we have received from our customers and plan to launch an Arabic version of the store very soon. We are also working hard on making the shopping experience more pleasing and secure for our customers.

If you want to succeed you need to cover the basic services but if you want to domain you need to differentiate yourself. Nowadays, giant marketplaces are selling everything (not any specialization), HeraCloset has chosen carefully their specialization and niche market. HeraCloset strives to be a dedicated platform for women desirous of fashionable items of clothing, especially the brands that are local and emerging. I have a mission to make it a one-stop-shop for local brands that reflect Arabian and Khaliji look, personality and taste.

“We want to create a home for brands with stories to tell. Brands you’ll want to know about because of what they stand for.”

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

HeraCloset serves as a hub where the designer can showcase and sell their products and Heracloset will connect the customers and designers together and take care of the logistics and operation against agreed fees. HeraCloset has witnessed several growths in the business which proved the success of the business model and all strategic decisions made through the journey. HeraCloset is currently onboarding UAE-based and Oman-based Fashion designers with a plan to expand to Saudi Arabia as a next step. And deliver to GCC, Europe, USA, And Australia and some other Arab countries such as Jordan. The concept of HeraCloset is new which allows us to be a market leader in this domain. Our products and categories include: Abaya, Kaftan, Bisth, Dresses. Modest Wear, Mommy and Me, Organic Products.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is really hard, yet learning new things is part of what's so fun and exciting about being an entrepreneur.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Like other entrepreneurs, I have my own share of disappointments and challenges. But I never allow them to stop or slow me down in my mission of making Heracloset.com the leader in Arabian clothing and Khaleeji look. My advice to new entrepreneurs is It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Contact or follow HeraCloset

Why LoA loves it….

They say that finding your niche in business and understanding where there is a clear gap in the market, is one of the secrets to success. Shaden Abushaera is doing just that with HeraCloset. She understands clearly the needs of both customers and designers and is creating an effective marketplace where the two can come together. In such a growing market segment, this is definitely a brand to watch over the coming months as it expands its reach and offerings. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa