Bubble Bean Boutique Tweetup + interview
It’s a very exciting time for fashion here in Vancity. Even if you don’t think we have a fashion scene here, we’re still in hard economic times so basic shopping means doing your math and mapping out your trips to save on gas. Gone are the days of buying at Holt or on Alberni Street for designer names – eBay, etsy, and Value Village are more like it. I recently found out about a new online retailer, Bubble Bean, which actually came before the launch of A.D.F.M. As much as we want to cross the border for those Black Friday deals, we need only shop from the comfort of our computers. Bubble Bean hosted a Tweetup at 1181 last Tuesday where I was able to meet and chat with the head Bubble Bean herself, Maggie Ma.
Me with Maggie Ma wearing Winter Kate
Maggie Ma: So, the whole concept for Bubble Bean is that we match US pricing. So, whatever we have – well, except for J Brand – I’m restricted to have the Canadian pricing – but everything else: Winter Kate that’s by Nicole Richie, and then we have For Love and Lemons that’s worn by lots of celebrities… So everything we have is matching the US pricing so that [customers] don’t have to shop at Shopbop or whatever. They can get the same price and they can get even probably cheaper shipping.
Middle Child Reviews: Yeah, I noticed right now you’re doing free shipping. Anywhere?
MM: Yeah, anywhere.
MCR: And how are you able to do that?
MM: Well there’s a minimum purchase. So for Canada, I believe it’s $100 for free shipping. For US, it’s $150, and then worldwide it’s $250. So it’s not that much. And then, everything we ship has a tracking number. So we’ll be able to track it.
MCR: What’s your background?
MM: I worked in retail for…8 years. So for a long time. I managed a shop in Yaletown before, so it’s a lot of fashion industry stuff, but I didn’t go to school for fashion. I just went to school because, you know, most parents want you to go to school and have that University education to qualify. But I started this boutique because I had a baby, and I just wanted to stay at home with her. I don’t want to go outside and work, but I still want to make money at the same time doing what I love. So that’s why I started Bubble Bean.
MCR: Did you find that your experience working in retail helped you with knowing what brands were out there, and then forming those relationships?
MM: It helped a lot, yeah. At least, I know how to get the wholesaler and how to approach them. Because especially for J Brand and big brands like that, they just don’t give their brands out to anybody to sell. You will have to go meet them, they will have to do an interview with you to say “ok, we will allow you to sell our brand.” So that helped me a lot in terms of getting the brands in.
J Brand 811 red skinnies I have on my wish list…
