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What started as an idea in a phone conversation less than 2 months ago is now a living breathing online nationwide clothing catalogue. Raghunter, a search engine for fashion items available in stores across Lebanon, might be well on its way to become Lebanon's prime online shopping guide.

After thorough research, founders Serene Abbas & Narina Najm, previously account managers at JWT, came to a couple of conclusions regarding the fashion retail industry. Firstly, retailers ‘know that they need to be online’ but shun the expenses required to move onto the web; and secondly, trust is still a local issue, ‘shoppers are willing to order from New York but are not 100% ready to shop online locally."

The research also concluded that ‘busy people’, Raghunter’s target market, value their free time and shun traffic and parking around the city. Raghunter would then present an alternative and convenient way to see what’s on store shelves around the city, or a ‘viewing platform’ as the founders describe it.

Beyond simply providing a window into the online world, Raghunter offers a number of perks for retailers as well. The service handles photographing the items, as well as promoting them on social media platforms and utilizing SEO to maximize exposure.

What’s next?

The service is rather young, and the founders are slowly charting their way and figuring out the best model for their company. Annual packages for retailers, charging for the ‘perks’, or even creating their own delivery network are all possibilities for Raghunter. Right now however ‘we are building our content, traffic and credibility’ concluded Serene. Will the service be available beyond Lebanon? “Ultimately yes. We have a big big vision.”

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