New business market research, please help!

[Selok]

Hi All,

I am thinking of selling these authentic, hand made Turkish peshtemal towels 100% cotton, some are mixture of bamboo and cotton, they are not really towels but they are.... Peshtemal are used in Turkish hamam ( Turkish bath) their use go back to Ottoman times, used in Hamams. They are so thin so you can carry them everywhere, to gym, use as yoga mat top, beach, and personally I can tell from own experience they are perfect for caravan and camping holidays as they take no space at all, you can pack them for the whole family, they absorb water quickly and perfect, they are also very colourful and fashionable also have bathrobe for adults and kids. I am Turkish myself living with my 10 yo DD and DH in Hertfordshires. I know the product very well just don't know how it will go in the UK market. So please have a look at the pictures and tell me what you think? They are really multi task towels so I will call them crafty towels- do you think it is a good name?? Many thanks for your valued input

Are they towels or not? This is going to sound rude but they sound a bit faddy.

They should like an interesting idea.

What are the washing instructions? Do they hold up to high temperatures as I know a lot of people wash towels 60+ for hygiene reasons.

Where would you plan on selling them? Are they more expensive then your average towel prices?

I'm not overly keen on the name either. I think you need something more luxurious sounding maybe?

Thanks, they are called peshtemal towels, yes they are towels
Pestemal is a woven cloth that used to cover the body in hammam or bath, or wrapped from the waist to prevent contamination of clothes while working. At the same time, pestemal is the traditional Turkish towel. Peshtemal has reached to the present from the historic Turkish hammam era. It has a history of nearly six hundred years in Anatolia. You can hear that some call them fringet towel, tassel towel or Turkish towel.
In some cultures almost the same products have different names like sarong, kikoy, kangas, shukas or fouta. Sarong or sarung is a given name in Asia. Kikoy or kikoi is using in East Africa. Kangas or kanga is the same which is using in Afrika. Shukas is using in Africa. Fouta is generaly used in the Mediterranean region. Finally the same tradition have different names upon regions. Some call it fringed towel. This is I found online for better explaining what it is
Many thanks

Many thanks, they was at 40 degrees, they suck the water like a sponge. They sell between £ 15-20 they are very large, like bath towel size. I am the process of building a website and I want to attend to fairs and fetes, etc. I know I am not sure about the name either, will keep thinking about it
Many thanks

Some more pictures for you to give more ideas

I think they look and sound lovely. My only concern is the tassels? How do you wash without them getting caught in the drum or can you buy without? DP and I went abroad a few years ago and they had a similar bath sheet there, DP liked it so much we bought one before we left. Definitely prefer to our traditional English fluffy towels.
Not keen on the name either? It sounds a bit Facebook business like and I think you need something more luxurious.

They do sound quite interesting.

I would make sure you point out the benefits over traditional towels - like the space saving etc as it would be quite hard to convince people to change from something that's been well used for generations if you see what I mean?

Start small and build up especially this time of year when you've missed the family beach/park trips that would have been ideal selling points. When it's cold and grey people like a big,heavy,fluffy towel to wrap up in so that might prove difficult to overcome.

Do you have good links with other people more traditionally likely to use these?

Yes I agree with the name of it, wasn't sure myself definitely will take this on board. Regarding tassels, I have mine my mum brought from Turkey, the tassels are not that long as it looks on the pictures and I have had mine for more than 3 years now, tassles not damaged yet. Many thanks for your comments, all much appreciated

Also concerned about the tassels. Do they get matted up?

Anyway, you have me intrigued - when you're up and running pm a link of your website! (don't put it here as you can't advertise)

Many thanks, as I said tassles don't cause much trouble really, and I might pay for advertising on here hopefully come to that stage. I am in contact with the companies in Turkey making these lovely towels and hopefully place my first order very soon. Mamy thanks

I have one of these and they are absolutely brilliant. It was given to me as a corporate gift / freebie and has the company logo subtly embroidered on the corner. You could consider adding these and then targeting corporates too - they'd likely do large bulk orders.

I think that they're great and haven't seen them sold many places. The only thing I'd suggest is to cut down on the history of naming etc - stick with the bare facts that they're lightweight, quick drying but highly absorbent

Good luck with your business

Queen bean many thanks, very encouraging obviously I can't afford to place an order which will cost me lots including VAT, shipping etc and not be able to sell them, so thank you sooooo much for your feedback much appreciated. I am so glad you are happy with them as I personally know that they are great too, that's why I can easily sell them I hope as I believe in the products many thanks

Tooshyshyhushhush, many thanks for your comments I see what you mean....I have shown the pictures to other mums at school, of course it is difficult to judge from pictures than holding it so I will give away to some mums I know so that they can personally use them to see what I mean by its convenience and what a great product it is...Queenbean, what a great idea, the corporate business I will take all on board, many thanks

Selok I think they look gorgeous, please let me know when you have the business up and running!

Can they be tumble dried ?

Thanks a lot, I will definitely put my details when I am ready to launch. Floralnomad you can treat them as any cotton fabric when washing and they can be tumble dried with no problems

I have bought some this year in Turkey. Ideal for travelling or day out to the beach etc as very light. Plus they dry quicker than a traditional towel.

Have a look on Amazon - you would have an awful lot of competition. They aren't hard to get already I'm afraid.

Here, for example - 2 for £10.99;

www.amazon.co.uk/Classical-Peshtemal-EXPRESS-DELIVERY-Turkish/dp/B0084LLHH2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1443707347&sr=8-5&keywords=hammam+towel

I know what you are saying, it has delivery charge of £4.50 it is for two but if you only want one same charge as the delivery is from Turkey or if you want more, the delivery will be more. I will offer free delivery but I see your point. Because I am researching it, I know that there are lots of different type of quality groups of the same product, cheaper ones I can get also wholesale 2nd or 3rd grade quality and will be able to sell them much cheaper as well so there is the market for everyone really but I tend not to bring the 2nd or 3rd grade ones mind you, time will tell. Many thanks

They look lovely, have you considered targeting luxury spas? Crafty towels is not a name that suggests a luxury items though.

I note from your OP that you say they are perfect for the caravan and camping market as they take up no space

I know a lot of people who do both and all caravanners I know of are but short of space and just use full size towels

Campers I have found over the last 12 years in the business won't spend the money on the microfibre travel towels which are light, small and super absorbent until they have either seen someone with one or forgotten there towels on a weekend away and are forced to buy one

I sell microfibre towels ranging in price from £5 upto £18 depending upon size and the initial stock I bought I have been selling for nearly 8 years now and am still not even halfway through it

Don't mean to piss on your bonfire as they may be different enough or cheap enough for you to find a market but there are alternatives out there which only sell slowly so be careful before you chuck a load of money into stock

Yes, maybe approach luxury spas, health clubs and gyms, places offering yoga & pilates classes etc, high-end gift shops, independent health food shops & health therapy centres, that sort of thing. You might be better selling to businesses rather than to individual private customers.