Declan Lawlor, Author at Tique a Bou

So you have decided to give this online shopping thing in Kenya a chance and you have made it this far onto our website and you now must be wondering, is Tique a Bou actually real? Firstly, welcome to Tique a Bou where we aim to make you look good, feel good…for less! And secondly enjoy the first of several articles we will be writing on our blog. I thought I would use the opening article to give you a little brief on ourselves (Tique a Bou) and myself (Patricia Odera), Tique a Bou’s Operations Director.

Back in 2014 when Sauti Sol dropped their song which I still cannot stop shaking my hips to – sura yako, Tique a Bou was incepted. As Nairobians we are blessed with hot summer months and cool breezy rainy months. Both seasons are amazing in their own way, nothing beats sipping a Dawa cocktail after a long day in the summer or tucking into a big wholesome plate of githeri when the skies are pouring during the rainy months but this means as Nairobians we have to be well equipped for both seasons, as the saying goes “style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”

Let’s be honest traffic in Nairobi is not for the faint-hearted, getting from Westlands to Upperhill for example has taken me 4 hours on some days which puts me off going out shopping to any of the malls in Nairobi whether it be Westgate, Junction, Yaya Centre and so on. Then there is the Toi marketing bustling with life and vibrant with colour, a sensory overload however whenever I visit I feel like I need a week on the beach in Diani or Watamu to recover! I then discovered online shopping in Kenya, a solution to all my fashion problems where I can put in my Marini Naturals Deep Treatment Masque, pour myself a Tusker, shop away from my living room and receive my product to my doorstep or not! I received a raw deal on so many occasions, items did not turn up, items turned up which were not what were advertised or items were of such a poor quality that I decided to take matters into my own hands!

I reached out to a friend I met on my travels Declan, who likes to be called Dee while he was helping impoverished kids in Kiberia to find out how the folks in England do online retail. He introduced me to Zara, H&M, New Look and the likes and I was blown away, such sleek and streamlined websites offering next day delivery and satisfied customers. Dee and myself spoke at great lengths and that’s when we decided to take the plunge and incorporate Tique a Bou! In a nutshell, Tique a Bou works in the following way:

Dresses, Jeans, Sandals, Heels, Jumpsuits, Skirts and so on are sourced from fashion capitals all around the world whether it be Los Angeles, Paris, Milan or London we will source the most trendy and best quality fashion pieces to be imported into Kenya;

At our storage facility in Mombasa stock arrives, undergoes quality control checks for damage or irregularities, and is then released as New Arrivals on our website. The product photography is always of the product itself and never a replica or a similar product. This ensures that what you see on our website is always what you receive;

A lot of time and investment has gone into developing a secure website where customer and payment information is fully encrypted and secured. Part of this, is Tique a Bou’s integration with Kenya’s leading secure payment gateway, PesaPal. This enables our customers to pay securely using the most popular Kenya payment methods such as mPesa and credit/debit cards, all under one roof; In our opinion, the most important part of any online shopping experience is customer service. We provide support via social media, WhatsApp and a dedicated customer support line open early hours and late evenings. This is really where our team’s experience in the UK high street retail world gives us that extra oomph.

Perhaps one of the most important parts of an online shopping experience is speed and ease of delivery. This is why Tique a Bou has partnered with Fargo Courier to provide a seamless, hassle-free 24 hour delivery service, pretty much countrywide in Kenya. This covers all the major towns and cities, with maybe an extra day needed for more remote locations. However, the bottom line is, we will get your item to the doorstep of your choice, countrywide in Kenya. The entire delivery process is automated and our systems are linked with Fargo Couriers; as you enter your delivery information at the Tique a Bou checkout, a live price is generated by Fargo, and your delivery is automatically booked in!

You may have noticed we’ve been away for a while. Sadly, Declan’s father, Michael, passed away in Kenya in 2016. He was spellbound with Kenya and its people, and ended his days smiling in a place he truly adored. Unfortunately, this meant Tique a Bou’s plans were put on hold for a while. During this time, we have closely watched the market and seen e-commerce hitting the headlines more and more, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. We believe e-commerce is beginning to blossom throughout Kenya, and the African continent as a whole. As a team and a company with a strong ethos to provide an honest and reputable service, we, more than any, know the importance of leading by example and helping to carve the path for the future of e-commerce, done the right way.

So basically this is who we are, whenever I am asked to describe Tique a Bou my response is always the following: