Going Mainstream

Blogshops, especially in Singapore, are no longer a niche activity, it seems, but are increasingly going mainstream.

The evidence for this are:

1. Many are converting into professional e-commerce sites. They ditch the blog format for more conventional website platforms and utilizing shopping carts, cleaner interfaces, etc.

2. Many of them have physical store fronts (but retain some blogshop characteristics, like in their names).  IN Orchard Road, there is a Haji Lane that is populated by small blogshop businesses.

3.  They continue to utilize social media, especially Facebook and Twitter.  Many of them have moved a significant part of their business on Facebook where they use it as another outlet to sell from.

4.  Blogshops also take opportunities to sell their wares in weekend markets, flea markets, blogshop fairs or events that are either specially created for blogshops or that provide one-off opportunities for blogshops to participate.

5. The whole blogshop ecology is developing at a fast rate, especially in Singapore.  It is gaining acceptance as there are now many major events that involve blogshops or where blogshops are highlighted.

The event described in the Funny Umbrella blog is one such example.  A modelling event that is participated by a major consumer brand (Panasonic) and involving blogshops as fashion providers.