JOOR

My feature startup this week, Joor, was one of the primary motivations for me starting this blog. Traditionally, we are used to hearing about people working in fashion as opening up a boutique or putting that boutique online and having an e-commerce platform. But when I came across this name, I was beyond impressed. Taking both of her passions of business and fashion, Mona Bijoor, Founder of jooraccess.com, exemplifies the term fashion tech.

Joor is an online wholesaling platform. As pioneers of a movement in this realm of the fashion space, Bijoor is showcasing her progressive personality and taking advantage of the technological advancements to propel the fashion wholesale industry.

“At JOOR, we’re passionate about building smart technology to keep wholesale vibrant. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, just make it spin faster and easier.” Quintessential for a company like this! Here is a brief rundown of how Joor works. It is a premier online market place for wholesale buying that hosts 750 brands and over 80,000 retailers. Astounding figures for a company who has been in the market for a little under the five-year mark. The platform is to connect, browse and buy. A company requests to connect with a retailer or buyer. After the connection has been accepted, they have the option of browsing through the offerings of their new connection; pick the style, color and quantities for specific sizes. I look at it as a social networking platform come shopping come business platform for buyers and sellers.

The company has not stopped just at a website; they have taken into account the variations of needs of their users and simplified the process to be as user-friendly as possible. By offering the capacity of the website to accept multiple currencies, Joor allows global transactions and validates itself as a truly global platform. In contrast, taking it one step further from the website, Joor has created two mobile apps – retailer app designed specifically for buyers and the orders app for designers. Where one is to be used at buying appointments and runway shows, offering the ability to sift through various options, the other is beneficial for trade shows and showrooms, offering the ability for designers to present their products, respectively. Both apps were created to make it easier for users on both ends of the wholesale process. This eliminates paper line sheets, transcribed orders or faxes. Kick out the hustle and bustle of Monday morning buying meetings, when Joor has made it a 24/7. The brand aims to create a stronger network with more concrete relationships within the fashion wholesale arena.

Their efforts are not only limited to providing a technology based solution to a buying process. Joor promotes artisanal products, by offering their website as a platform to encourage local profitability and prosperity. Not to mention, their initiative of FEED which aims to educate and feed under privileged children around the world. A portion of the sales of the FEED bag is donated to the United Nations World Food Program.  

In a different light, the company is spearheaded by a strong female who I have grown tremendous respect for as I follow her initiatives. Mona Bijoor was listed as Crain’s top 40 under 40. Fashinvest awarded her the female entrepreneur in fashion and not to mention refinery29 naming her as one of the top women changing the digital space! This brand is more than aware of its direction and heading there full force. A Wharton MBA graduate, who has taken her experience and knowledge of fashion buying, her knack of business acumen and passion to succeed, Mona is calling out the notion of antiquated wholesale buying and definitely revolutionizing the fashion space - Joor IS fashion tech.