With her passion for event organising, Lydia Akram, an entrepeneur and founder of a bazaar for local designers, used her initiative to give greater exposure for Egyptian shoppers.
Egyptian Gazette: Why did you start? What’s the passion that drives you?
Lydia Akram: I’ve always had passion for organising events since I was at school. Gradually, I redirected my passion to charitable events as a way of giving back to the community and support it through my organisational skills. I launched L.A. Market to bridge the gap between local brands and modest shoppers. Inspiring women starting their businesses lack the exposure they deserve. Modest shoppers need of a community and a one-stop shop. Both parties need each other and my mission is to bring them together.
EG: What is your background?
LA: Logistics at Arab Academy for Science, Technology. I’ve been very active in student activities through the International Association of Students in Economics, Business and Revive Egypt, and in my community organising charitable and religious events.
EG: What are the issues you are solving? What is your value proposition?
LA: Connecting customers to local brands providing solutions for the modest community. Many shoppers go for international brands because they don’t know about the small designers and local business owners.
EG: Tell us more about the process, users and business model.
LA: We want to create and nurture a community that does not only come to shop but also to feel dedicated to something bigger than themselves. Our target audience is mainly women who support local businesses and our channels are on social media and offline through regular bazaars. With every edition we try to diversify and increase the number of participating brands.
EG: What are your main challenges?
LA: Maintaining the progress of participating brands in terms of quality, design and price. Another challenge is convincing the Egyptian consumer to shift her mindset from shopping from international brands to going for local labels,
thereby supporting the national economy and support female brand owners.
EG-What are your achievements? What are your future plans?
LA: Creating that shift in mindset in my community from shopping internationally to shopping locally. Another success is creating a supportive community of brands and visitors, and making the bazaar a networking event as well as shopping.
EG: Do you think the ecosystem is helping you?
LA: Definitely. The ecosystem consists of brand owners, consumers and influencers and these three elements work in perfect sync for the sake of the cause. We all direct our knowledge and experience to support local brands, especially women in a recurring event that grows with every single edition.
