Interview with founder Jacob Choong.

MdM: How did the project come about ?
J.C. "HighFashionExchange.com was developed to address the unique challenges luxury retailers face with inventory management, specifically the inability to reorder items due to six-month lead times. Traditionally, retailers in this space struggle to keep up with fluctuating consumer demands after placing orders so far in advance. HighFashionExchange.com emerged as a solution to bridge this gap by enabling retailers to buy and sell stock among each other. This B2B platform offers a platform where luxury retailers can offload slow-moving items and acquire in-demand merchandise without waiting for another full production cycle. It aspires to re-distribute each retailers' current inventory during the 6-month cycle resulting in instant encashment, an increase in higher stock turnover and less wastage."

MdM: Who is behind this revolutionizing project ?
J.C. "HighFashionExchange.com was founded by a team with deep experience in luxury retail, technology, and international trade, headquartered in Singapore, the world's 2nd largest trading port. I combined insights from luxury retail management with expertise in technology-driven business models, setting the stage for a solution that directly addresses inventory issues specific to luxury brands. The team also includes software developers, market strategists, and trade experts, ensuring HighFashionExchange.com is not only functional but also aligned with the needs of the luxury industry."

MdM: What are the services you offer?
J.C. "HighFashionExchange.com offers a B2B marketplace tailored to luxury retailers, providing a platform where members can trade luxury stock securely and efficiently. Our services include:
- Inventory Trading Platform: Facilitating peer-to-peer transactions for current stock.
- Subscription Model: Membership-based access with a simple fee structure that includes a small transaction fee.
- Support for Strategic Inventory Management: With future AI integration, HFEx aims to deliver insights on inventory trends to help members make more data-driven trading decisions."

MdM: How do you diversify your services from those currently being offered?
J.C. "HighFashionExchange.com is the first of its kind in the luxury B2B sector, providing a dedicated platform that specifically addresses the unique needs of high-end retailers. Unlike other B2B marketplaces, HighFashionExchange.com focuses exclusively on current inventory trading among luxury retailers, filling the gap left by standard wholesale models. Our subscription-based model is competitive and tailored to the luxury sector, with the added benefit of our transaction support and a plan to incorporate AI for trend insights, helping members make smarter inventory decisions. Moreover HighFashionExchange.com is enriched by software integrations to be able to make the dataflow even better (seamless data exchange between inventory, retail management programs, logistics, etc) with top tech-players as much with logistic partners. Details will follow soon."

MdM: For whom are your services addressed ?
J.C. - "HighFashionExchange.com is designed for luxury brand retailers, including concept stores, department stores, multi-brand boutiques, and independent luxury retail businesses and brands. Our members share a common goal of optimizing their inventory while staying aligned with their brand's reputation for exclusivity and quality.
Only authorized retailers can sell B2B to other authorized retailers. This especially favours that emerging brands may have more chances to increase sell-outs. Each brand has a separated, SKU-driven and incognito area called "community"; the wider the community is the bigger the chance to increase trading."

MdM: Which retailers are already on your platform?
J.C."HighFashionExchange.com is seeing early adoption among a mix of concept stores, multi-label boutiques, and department stores across the EU market. These retailers are leveraging our platform to efficiently manage their inventory in response to shifting demands, allowing them to offer a dynamic range of products while maintaining their luxury standards."

MdM: Where do you see HighFashionExchange.com in 5 years?
J.C. "Over the next five years, HighFashionExchange.com aims to expand its reach beyond the EU to North America, China and eventually the global market. Strategically, we will evolve our service offerings to include more advanced AI features, community-driven engagement, and market insights that will empower retailers to make more predictive and proactive inventory decisions. Our ultimate goal is to create a global luxury trading network that supports sustainable and responsive inventory practices for the luxury industry with the company's credo of "moving - towards a more efficient retail market."