This interview delves into the journey of a lingerie e-commerce entrepreneur Ms. Wessam Alsenafi Tariq in the Middle East, highlighting her transition from a background in English literature to establishing a successful business. The discussion covers key aspects such as overcoming challenges in a conservative market, differentiating from competitors through quality and service, and targeting diverse customer segments. She has shares insights into leadership, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within her team. Additionally, she has discussed the strategies for ensuring a seamless customer experience and maintaining alignment with the company’s vision during periods of transition and technological advancement.
Entrepreneurial Journey
We started the interview by asking, “We’d like to hear about your personal history and gain a thorough understanding of your company. Could you provide an overview?”
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “After completing my Bachelor’s degree in English language and literature and holding a basic position in one of the organizations in Kuwait I couldn’t see myself further in that type of job, so I decided to be ahead of the curve and explore something that has always been of my interest. I completed my master’s degree in business from the University of Wales UK and was awarded several certificates in the business field from different well reputed universities across the UK too. Moving forward I chose to begin my business and gather all the experiences I have gained into practice by establishing my own business.”
Distribution and Challenges
The Arab Today: Can you provide an overview of your experience in the lingerie industry, particularly in distribution roles?
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “Just like any business, working in the lingerie field in this part of the world obviously has its obstacles, yes indeed working in type of business is more challenging performing within conservative communities but that does not imply to the distribution part .Thus, Importing, exporting and distributing undergoes regular processes no less than any other businesses in the market. Therefore, my experience in the distribution of lingerie is so far has been so far so good nothing too difficult to deal with.”
Unique Selling Points
The Arab Today: How would you differentiate your lingerie e-commerce business from other competitors in the market?
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “The competition in the Middle East market is quite tough. But competing to maintain good quality products, good service, and good after pay service and good prices is perhaps one of our stand outs.”
Target Market and Segmentation
The Arab Today: How do you prioritize and implement strategies to target various segments of customers in the Middle East?
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “The main purpose of market segmentation is to enable an organization to understand its target markets more closely and to be able to target them more effectively. The Middle East is one of the difficult markets because it is regularly changing so keeping a close eye on the market changes is important in order to keep the targeted segments hooked.”
Measuring Success
The Arab Today: How do you track the performance of your e-commerce platform, and what key metrics do you prioritize?
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “I have an experienced IT team with advanced experience that regularly monitors the analytics , website visits , feedback and reviews , mobile visits and customer satisfaction all these metrics and more are highly considered when we track our website.”
Leadership and Team Culture
The Arab Today: Describe your leadership style and how you foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within your team.
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “Leadership revolves around controlling your network and keeping it a stable environment to continue to work in this is what I focus on working with my team.
Alignment and Adaptation
The Arab Today: What steps do you take to ensure that your team remains aligned with the vision and goals of your lingerie e-commerce business, especially during periods of transition and technological advancement?
Wessam Alsenafi Tariq replied, “Regular weekly meetings are held to discuss and negotiate the updates or issues to discuss new ideas and listen to feedback
In addition, regular questionnaires, surveys and online courses are recommended to our staff to monitor and develop their skills.”
Technology and Service
Lastly we asked, “How would you ensure a positive and seamless customer experience throughout their journey on your e-commerce platform?”
“That is done through following up regularly on the latest technologies and business updates, regular check-ups are made on our platforms and systems by our IT team to keep the purchase experience smooth yet safe for our clients when using our website /services online.” Wessam Alsenafi Tariq Concluded
Connect Wessam Alsenafi Tariq on LinkedIn
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