Personal shoppers are becoming popular these days. File Photo
PUTRAJAYA: The service provided by a ‘personal shopper’ is gaining ground so much so that it had motivated a few netizens to venture into it as a means of earning extra income or making it a livelihood.
A personal shopper is an individual who is paid to assist another to purchase goods, either by accompanying them while shopping or by shopping on their behalf, according to an Oxford English dictionary.
The items that clients usually request of personal shoppers to buy for them range from dresses and accessories to home furnishings and kitchen items, according to part-time personal shopper Nazziatul Hikmah Abd Rahman, 30.
“I derive a lot of pleasure from shopping for others and on top of that I get paid for it,” the Melaka Historic City Council staff told Bernama recently.
Her endeavour began after photos she uploaded in Facebook of IKEA furniture and other home decoration items in February 2016 received favourable comments from friends.
“They made positive comments and suggested that I buy the items for them,” she said, adding that she would head to the federal capital twice a month with a friend or a younger sibling after advertising the items in her Facebook and Instagram.
Ainul Farahana Mustapa, 37, became a full-time personal shopper when the international company she worked for did not renew her contract.
Being an enthusiast of South Korea’s entertainment scene put her in good stead as it motivated her to learn and use products made by the country.
Well-versed in South Korean products such as cosmetics, skin care and K-pop paraphernalia, she would occasionally fly to the country as a tourist and doubling as a personal shopper.
“What is so wonderful for me is the positive feedback from customers although there were times when their requests surprised me, such as asking me to buy a Korean doll or skin care product that could not be found in Malaysia,” she said.
She said she usually bought items for her clients from suppliers that she was already familiar with. – Bernama