Brand Shoppers’ Delight

From pop-up flash sales to taking up a permanent space, OnTheList found a winning formula combining brands with exclusive deals and exceptional customer experience.

OnTheList is the brainchild of French entrepreneurs Delphine Dultzin and Diego Dultzin Lacoste, both Co-founders & CEOs, who set up the company in 2016. The French couple were working in Hong Kong in the fashion industry and saw the opportunity of bringing a new business model to the city: offering exclusive access to luxury brands’ past season products at highly discounted prices to members.

Registered members are invited to flash sales which usually last for only three to four days. These sales offer a variety of products ranging from fashion to cosmetics, wine, furniture, sportswear and more. Brands provide their products on consignment while OnTheList takes care of operation, logistics, display and sales.

“Stores and outlets are not enough to sell all the off-season stock, so we provide an additional channel for brands to clear inventory, reduce wastage and generate extra revenue,” the Co-founders said, “it will also help the brands expand their customer base.”

Entrepreneur-friendly

One of the pioneers in membership based flash sales, this model is already popular in Paris and New York. To test the market, the Co-founders started the idea with a series of pop-up events at different locations. “We did not have any entrepreneurial experience before and had a very steep learning path,” said Dultzin, “but in Hong Kong there is a vibrant entrepreneurial environment to start a company, and the administration is relatively easy. People are also easy going and open to new ideas.”

The Co-founders added, “when we had this idea to start OnTheList, we met with a number of parties to brainstorm the ideas. The process was very encouraging, so we were able to start our venture very soon.”

After 18 months of proven success, the couple decided to commit a longer lease in a permanent venue in Central, a prime location for luxury brand stores. Some of the flash sales are supported by its eCommerce site, which currently represents 15 percent of its total revenue.

OnTheList has already expanded outside Hong Kong – the company has launched in Singapore and Taiwan few months ago, and will continue to grow the operation there. Eyeing Mainland China, the couple has also been meeting potential partners in the last two years and planning to launch in Shanghai.

For those who would like to start their entrepreneurship in Hong Kong, the founders’ advice is to contact InvestHK for their support. “It might be challenging for new companies to get contacts for professional services. InvestHK’s help at the beginning is hence really helpful as they can refer the right contact and provide valuable feedback,” he concluded.