Welcome
My name is Tom Herbots and I would like to welcome you personally on the BazarApart website. On this page you can find the story of BazarApart and how our concept came about. My biography explains in short who I am - one of the driving forces behind BazarApart.
The story of BazarApart
Why is it so difficult to find original, apart, and affordable gifts? That is a question I have been asking myself for some years now... There is a large (over)supply of cheap low-quality gifts, but those are certainly not original or apart. The alternative is often a designer store where unique and apart gifts can be found, but these stores are in general quite expensive.
Finding a relatively unique, original, and apart gift of good quality and at a correct price is a different story... This explains the word "Bazar" in our company name. Next to the fact that all our gifts are original and/or apart, we also have a clear focus on a few things that come (or starting to come) into play in today's market and the economy in general: authentic production (in the country of origin), durable, good quality, recyclable, small ecological footprint, artisan production, etc...
The choice of the word "Bazar" has two reasons:
- Bazar shows that our store is not necessarily expensive. Today, Bazar is a buzzword (retro, vintage) that illustrates the fact that the store offers several different things. The word Bazar can be considered a synonym for "Concept Store".
- Bazar is also the name of the store in Aarschot, which is still in the exact same location as where my great-great-grandparents have founded it in 1875.
The combination "BazarApart" describes the concept perfectly: a (online)store offering a large choice and variety of apart products that are durable, of good quality, and that are all produced in "the authentic way".
BazarApart wants to become -next to two beautiful concept stores, one in the middle of the Aarschot shopping centre and the other one in the pedestrian tourist area od Antwerp- an important player on the Internet with a concept that at present is still unique. The recent investments made by the city of Aarschot in the embellishment(redevelopment) and in the accessibility (e.g. free parking) of the shopping centre provide an ideal location for the concept store. The steady rise of buying online in Belgium makes it the perfect moment to launch our concept on the web.
This is me...
Tom Herbots - Who the **** is he?
After completing my studies as an information technology expert I have -for the last 20 years- gained experience in the private sector in the domains of management, sales, and marketing. My dream however has always been my own store. My entire life I have had an affinity with the store of my "ancestors". I love to advise my customers each and every day again, whilst at the same time staying up-to-date on the newest developments.
Being an entrepreneur has been on my mind for quite some time now. Today I see an opportunity in the market, and I will continue to keep an open mind for changes in that market so I can keep on discovering new and original products. I am fully aware the evironment is constantly changing and it is of crucial importance that the business can change accordingly. (=the marketing pitch, not bad huh...)
If you would like to contact me, offer a suggestion, report a problem, etc... just send an email to tom@bazarapart.be
I wish you a pleasant shopping experience at the BazarApart webshop!
Tom Herbots
Head Honcho