Our Story
The Birth of Bechlo.pk
A time when unprecedented changes took place around the world—in March 2020—I arrived in Karachi with my newborn daughter to introduce her to my family for the first time. It was a celebration like no other, as my sister was also visiting with her newborn son. However, soon the COVID-19 wave hit, and life as we knew it came to a halt.
A two-week trip to Pakistan turned into a seven-month stay as airports all over the world closed and we were unable to go home. As my newborn grew, so did the requirements for her nursing, feeding, clothing, and play. With all the stores closed and limited access to her growing needs, I desperately turned to my friends and family in Karachi, trying to understand where I could source products for my daughter.
Almost instantly, my friends and family directed me to a number of Facebook groups and Instagram pages where I could browse, buy, and sell. I could post my requirements and find all the products I was looking for. I logged in and I was amazed. There was a huge range of products available across Pakistan from women who were selling from their homes. There were branded products, local products, imported products, new products, and preloved products! Whether it was clothes, bags, feeding accessories, changing mats, or bottles—everything seemed to be available.
Excited and relieved, I set out to purchase products and get more information from these home-based sellers. To my surprise, though, the order process was extremely choppy. I would have to send a message requesting information, prices, and delivery options from the seller. Unless I received a prompt response, I was unable to proceed with the order. On the other hand, upon looking at my query, I got dozens of direct images from sellers with products that were not exactly what I was looking for, but they were hoping to make a sale.
Furthermore, there were no payment processes in place. I had to make an online payment to a stranger, hoping that they would process my order as soon as they received the payment. However, much to my disappointment, a number of sellers received my payments but did not go ahead and process the order—and there was nobody I could go to with my complaint.
After about two weeks of going back and forth between these sellers on the groups, I was finally able to make purchases. And those products were absolutely amazing. They were the right price, the right fit—they were exactly what I needed. However, over the next few months during my stay in Pakistan, I frequently went back to these groups to make purchases and also just get a feel for why the processes were so choppy. That left a thought in my and my sister's minds: this process could be so much easier. Why isn’t it?
With both of us on maternity leave, we decided to delve deeper into the social commerce space. After months of talking to different buyers and sellers and doing some research, we found common themes—lack of time, digital and financial literacy, and business acumen. This led us to the idea of Bechlo.pk—a marketplace created by women, for women, simplifying the order management process, providing a one-stop shop with customer service, delivery, and payments, enabling women to enter the formal e-commerce space hassle-free.
Who Are Our Sellers?
Our sellers are women like YOU who are currently running small businesses, operating as resellers, or individuals selling their own preloved items through social media, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. These women are talented, have great products, but just need a platform, tools, and training to take their business to the next level. And THAT’S where Bechlo.pk comes in!
Our Impact
Launched on Women’s Day 2021, we have a community of over 20,000 women entrepreneurs from across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities in Pakistan, selling new and preloved products from the comfort of their homes, using their mobile devices!
We have successfully upskilled over 2,000 women in digital literacy and financially included more than 10,000 women! Our sellers have seen an increase of 30–60% in sales from selling online through Bechlo.pk, saving 95% of the time they previously spent manually managing inquiries and orders.
We’ve been supported by enablers like Standard Chartered Women in Tech, Visa She’s Next, ISF Grant by World Bank, Jazz, and UNDP to name a few!
Community
Bechlo.pk’s success comes from you! We are more than a marketplace—we are an ecosystem where women can shop, share, and grow. We are building a community of like-minded women, empowering each other to be financially independent and included from the comfort of their homes!
Together, by supporting the buying and selling of products proudly made in Pakistan by our talented entrepreneurs, we can accelerate the rate of women in the formal e-commerce sector.
Our Mission
We aim to make e-commerce easy, affordable, and accessible to millions of women across Pakistan. Our sellers can grow their businesses, and customers can access a variety of authentic and affordable new and preowned products at their doorstep!
Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we invite you to come along as we build Bechlo.pk into Pakistan’s largest women-centered marketplace community!
