Burkina Faso: Constant Tiendrébéogo excels in second-hand clothing business

Tuesday, August 20, 2024, in her thrift store, it is always full of customers. Constant Tiendrébéogo, the manager of the place, is overwhelmed. He and his two employees show the clothes to his customers, from the youngest to the oldest, in the oven and the factory. After this, each of them takes a turn to go to the fitting room. Then, they make their final choice and buy it with cash or mobile money. The store is busy. Constant Tiendrébéogo has a very sharp sense of humor. He has the ability to put his customers “at ease”. He even has a nickname for the pants in the thrift store. “You have to try the Wagabobo”. “Look at the Wi-Fi, it’s for people like you,” he says with a smile on his face all day. Her customers just laugh out loud. Besides the giggles, they are warmly welcomed and have a good time. This seller, whose clothing style is reminiscent of the Coupé-décalé singer, goes a step further in his marketing strategy. He offers drinks and water to the regulars of the store. Those who hesitated whether to wear certain garments are finally convinced. “If these pants don’t fit you, I’ll give them to you for free,” he said.

Lift your family out of poverty

Constant Tiendrébéogo was born in 1994, the youngest of three children. He dropped out of school in the sixth grade due to financial difficulties. Tired of seeing his parents in a precarious situation, he decided to work while still a child.

“I was embarrassed to see my father suffer. So I decided to drop out of school to help my family out of poverty. As my first job, I went to Sapuy (Ziro province, mid-west region) to farm for a year. I had 60,000 FCFA. I returned to Ouagadougou. I bought a bicycle for 35,000 FCFA. I gave my mother 20,000 FCFA to buy maize and I earned 5,000 FCFA myself. That was in 2010,” he recalls. While other children his age sat on the bench, Constant Tiendrebeogo dreamed of financial independence. He tried working as a mechanic for two years, but he didn’t like it. Then he worked in a shop selling solar panels, but finally gave it up. He became a gravel seller. At that time, the Bonheurville district of Ouagadougou was almost uninhabited. He went there to buy gravel and then transported it (with the help of donkeys and carts) to the popular theater for resale. “I bought gravel for 750 FCFA and sold it for 1500 FCFA. I was too small in the car and people could not see me. It was very hard work,” he recalls with a smile. The profits from this activity would allow him to start selling ready-to-wear clothes. But he went bankrupt. Not letting himself be discouraged, Constant decided to sell phone calls. Again, everything went wrong. He would be scammed. The scammers would steal all their phones. So it was back to square one.

Courage, courage, more courage

A popular saying is “Burkina Faso is not despondent”. This young man is living proof of that. He did not let the hardships of life break him. For years, with his donkey and cart, he started selling gravel again. He hoped to get back on track. This activity restored his financial health. Then, on the advice of a friend, he decided to start selling women’s second-hand clothes. Before he knew it, he had bet on the right horse. He traveled all over the country to sell clothes. In 2017, he opened his first thrift store. He bet on women’s trousers, which were the jackpot. Customers came from far and wide. Constant Tiendrébéogo sells at least 1,000 pairs of trousers a week. His suppliers were stunned. He nicknamed him “The King” (king in English). His customers nicknamed him “Constantine”. This gave him the idea to combine his two nicknames. He then called himself: “Constantine, the king of fashion”.

“There were a lot of sales. Normally, when the police passed by this store, they stopped to check. She didn’t understand why there were so many people. The police thought we had caught a thief or there had been a fight,” he recalls. Thanks to this activity, Constant Tiendrébéogo has been able to take good care of his family. He is married and a father of three children. It has 6 employees. Papi has been working with King Constantine for a year. He has nothing but praise for his boss. “He is a good man. He is not like other bosses. He thinks of his employees as his little brothers,” he reveals. He hopes his boss will increase his profits.

His customers are also very attached to him. They express their appreciation for the seller.

“King Constantine is a very sociable and respectable young entrepreneur. I have only known him for a month but I am already like a regular customer. When I come to his shop, I can spend more than 45,000 FCFA. The quality of its products is very good and the cost is low. As soon as I arrive at the department in the morning, everyone admires my outfit and keeps asking me where I go to buy things? I often say it is a thrift store, but people don’t believe me. I can always find what I want in King Constantine. He is very welcoming and always has a smile on his face. I commend her for her bravery,” advises Rachida, one of her loyal customers.

Constant said he no longer rubs his hands like he used to. From his analysis, the security crisis is the reason. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful and still works hard. In order to attract more customers, he began to diversify his business. He opened a second thrift store specializing in men’s clothing. For those who wish to take up this job, he advises taking risks with the little financial resources they have. In addition, they must work hard and not get discouraged.

Panama

Lefaso.net