Created by a Dutch IT specialist based in the Czech Republic, bringsome.com hopes to create a loose-knit social network of people who are willing to ‘bring some’ over for others. Some in this case means anything consumers want from another country that they can’t get in their current place of residence. Whether it’s canned coffee from Tokyo, a local brand of cachaça from São Paulo or an 80GB Sony PS3 from Seoul, bringsome.com encourages members to ask for them to be brought by others.
The website is a few months old and only shows a handful of requests and offers. Dave Ruzius, bringsome.com's founder, plans to add features if the concept catches on, and suggests delicatessen shops might be interested in supplying the network with locally sourced products. (Bringers are free to charge a fee for shipping or bringing goods over.) While built as a tool to help friends and colleagues get the products they want from abroad, bringsome.com could of course pull in advertising as traffic grows. Creating a network of personal couriers makes for an intriguing business model, not unlike online swapping communities. And the focus on goods that are only available locally is a refreshing break from Big Global Brands. (See trendwatching.com's still made here briefing for more in consumer love for all things local.)
Related: Kiosk, the New York store that switches nationalities every season and is currently limiting its wares to uniquely German items, like children's lederhosen and Löwensenf mustard. Everything in the store is sourced personally in its country of origin, making Kiosk an ideal business idea for anyone who loves travel, retail and unique products. We’re tempted to start one ourselves... ;-)
Websites: www.bringsome.com — www.kioskkiosk.com
Contact: http://tinyurl.com/2p6c76 (contact form) — info@kioskkiosk.com
This is a great idea but I wonder whether it is too much of a niche market. I suppose it is a case of getting the knowledge of the site out there so that a niche market makes it their hub and then it becomes successful.
Mark Bowness
Hi,
Thx for the comments.
I'll publish a list of possible 'use cases' as I'm starting to see that it could be used for things un-thought of initially.
Imagine someone on a world trip in need for clothes to survive the monsoons, the other way around, people in need to send stuff home again. Private 'moving'; get the last small stuff to your new location. Get a present for some-one bought and delivered in a far-away country, etc, etc.
I agree; at this moment it is about getting the people, ads and flow re-designed.
bringsome.com
Dave Ruzius
Great idea. I however wonder if there needs to be a local 'connection' it truly expand. I'm thinking especially of countries that aren't really connected and but where amt of travellers are high. Could someone connect the passengers at the terminal to someone on the other side? I say this since I'm usually the "bringer" of goods to my family :-)