Startup interview: Akeem Bundu-Kamara, Founder, Lockr Space
RTIH gets the lowdown on environmentally friendly e-commerce startup Lockr Space.
RTIH: Tell us about Lockr Space
ABK: Lockr Space is an e-commerce platform for the discovery of sustainable sportswear in the UK and Europe.
On the website, you can shop multiple sportswear brands from independent retailers with clear transparency on how they are sustainable via icons and with items ranging from recycled plastic leggings to bamboo base layers.
RTIH: What was the inspiration behind setting the company up?
ABK: In the UK, buying sportswear is limited to SportsDirect or Decathlon. If you can't find what you want there, you are limited to the individual retailers themselves like Nike or Adidas.
I had a negative experience when buying a piece of sportswear from Amazon.
It encompassed all the negative aspects of poor quality - it felt cheap, held stains extremely easily, awkward fit and epitomised fast fashion with the materials it was made from.
After researching, I found a few alternatives on social media and online that were hard to find and decided to build a platform dedicated to finding alternative brands producing sportswear in the right ways.
RTIH: What has been the industry reaction thus far?
ABK: We have had extremely positive reactions from the brands that we work with for helping them tell their story and showcasing their products.
Additionally, more and more people are surprised by the fact that there is an alternative platform for where they are able to buy sportswear.
We have more than doubled the inventory since launching in mid-December 2020 and nearly doubled the amount of suppliers, with 15 now onboard.
RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge/setback?
ABK: Our biggest challenge has been the technology as building a platform that enables multiple sellers to sell on a single platform is extremely challenging.
However, we have worked extremely hard to build a working solution that suits our customers and our brands.
RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing the e-commerce sector right now?
ABK: Shipping solutions that are both commercially viable, eco-conscious and fast.
The expectation of e-commerce shipping has been warped by highly unrealistic standards, with large retailers offering free and next day shipping.
This is a big struggle for smaller and more boutique retailers who are struggling to compete in such an aggressive market.
Additionally, understanding and creating an e-commerce experience for those browsing social media on their mobile devices.
More and more people are discovering items through their social media feeds, but there is still a lot more work needed to make that experience bespoke and seamless.
RTIH: What's the best question about your company or the market asked of you recently by an investor and/or a customer?
ABK: The best question asked has been, "why aren't all sportswear brands building sustainably right now?" My simple answer is always profit maximisation.
There is a growing demand for better quality sportswear that is not only good quality, durable and innovative but also eco-conscious and ethically produced.
You can have the best of both worlds but currently price is a big factor that customers are choosing.
However, as more sustainable brands become available and the switch happens to materials such as ECONYL and Tencel, we will start seeing the margins decrease.
RTIH: What can we expect to see from Lockr Space over the next 12 months?
ABK: We are onboarding more brands who solve unique problems in the sportswear industry every month, serving our role as providing innovative products to a diverse audience.
And we will be growing the founding team to help take Lockr Space to new levels in all areas.
We will also be growing our status as a thought leader within sustainable sportswear and social enterprise in the world of sport.
