Meet Sherry Chan of Shopary in East LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Chan.

Sherry, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, our CEO and co-founder, Vay, and I founded Shopary. We are value-conscious shoppers – the type of people who will research endlessly on multiple sites for the best pricing on a product.

We would wait months, sometimes even up to a year, to scout out the best sales on a branded product we have been eyeing. We’re more than familiar with the markups of a product, including premium brand markup. So, we set out to create a platform for value-oriented shoppers like ourselves. No sales needed.

Our CEO and co-founder, Vay, has been an entrepreneur for over a decade. As a long-time importer, he realized years ago the evolution of the global marketplace and the shift of power from distributors and importers to factories. And so, the idea of Shopary – a platform to give consumers direct access to factory goods at near factory prices (minimal markup) – was born.

And I, having seen true manufacturer’s pricing on goods early on, was also convinced that there was a better way for consumers to get the best pricing on curated goods. I believed in the vision and saw an opportunity for positive and sustainable global impact through sourcing, so I quit my previous marketing job to join Vay in this venture.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a rough road, and we ride out the bumps and potholes every day. We’ve faced a lot of self-doubt. It’s a mental and sometimes emotional struggle. We’ve repeatedly asked ourselves if this new concept would work. Leading up to our launch, we often dwelled on the constructive criticism that we received.

And as much as we tried to address the points of criticism, we threw ourselves for a loop because we could not please everyone. Each person we asked has a different idea of what Shopary could look like or what we could do better. But ultimately, the vision for Shopary was ours. Receiving feedback is truly a fine balance of listening to your potential audience but also staying true to your own mission.

Additionally, we’ve faced a lot of setbacks to our original timelines, which resulted in more doubt. But the doubt never stopped us from moving forward (to finally launching two months ago).

Please tell us about Shopary.
Shopary is an online shopping experience that offers disruptive pricing on thoughtfully curated goods selected from thousands of producers. We bring you as close as possible to manufacturer’s pricing on quality lifestyle goods, minimizing markup by removing inefficiencies and layers of distribution. At the heart of it, Shopary is an e-commerce platform that aims to bridge the gap between producers and global consumers and, perhaps more importantly, to bridge the gap between quality and affordability.

Too often, low prices translate into a poor shopping experience and poor product quality. But we’re setting out to change this. The best value is found in high quality and low prices. We don’t compromise the quality of the goods. We don’t compromise the online shopping experience. And we don’t compromise the quality of life for our producers.

Not only do we source from traditional manufacturers, but we also source from individual artisans through social enterprises in developing communities to provide economic opportunity to the poor, the disadvantaged, the vulnerable. Our approach to business is uncompromising – in every part of the experience from producer to consumer.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
The first memory that comes to mind is the time I first got on a mountain bike when I was around eight years old. I had never ridden a bike prior to this — not even a tricycle as a toddler. Although my dad and older cousin were right by me guiding the bike as I learned to ride, I fell off as soon as they let go. I was shocked that they entrusted me to ride solo so early.

But it was right after this fall that I successfully learned to ride a bike. I didn’t fall again after this first time. I always think fondly of this because the incident reminds me that the fall needed to happen. Sometimes, you have to fall in order to rise. Often, you have to fail in order to succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopary.com
• Email: hi@shopary.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hishopary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hishopary/

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