The country of Iran (often also called Persia in Islamic countries) is synonymous with persian carpets or rugs. Some Persian carpets are worth a lot and are heavily sought after by rich South Africans. This business idea is on how you can start an import and resell business in this industry.
Getting Started
Before you start, it’s important to decide whether you’re going to sell original expensive Persian carpets or cheap fakes made in other countries (mostly in China). There is nothing wrong with selling fakes, but in this case, you should warn your customers. You should also tell your customers whether a rug is hand-knotted or machine-made.
Suppliers
It’s important to notice that “Persian carpet” is just a brand. An original carpet should not necessarily be manufactured in Iran.
Here is the list of countries known as the biggest rugs exporters:
- Iran;
- China;
- India;
- Pakistan;
- Russia;
- Turkey;
- Tibet;
- Nepal
If you decide to sell only original carpets, be careful with Russia and China. These countries are known for having big amounts of factories producing cheap and low-quality rugs. This doesn’t prevent manufacturers from labeling them “Made in Iran”.
Suppliers
Obviously, the best way to sell Persian rugs in South Africa is to establish an offline store. But this will require a nice-looking space in a central part of the city and hundreds of thousands of rands for buying rugs. Add to this security costs.
Tips/Challenges
Autumn is known as a hot season for buying carpets with high discounts. Take advantage of this. If you can consider it, consider buy carpets in autumn and sell them in other seasons.
