Owino Market: 14 Tips for buying second hand clothes

Very many people in Uganda including the middle-class shop for second hand clothing in open markets like St. Balikiddembe Market (Owino).

The Mivumba (second hand clothes) business in Uganda is booming. The business has grown into profits and has opened up new markets since its emergence in 1970s when the middle class started sliding into the other class.

Shopping mivumba is the best way one can remain stylish and fashionable on a low budget. When I was still a student at Makerere University, I used to sell second-hand tops and dresses to campusers to supplement my pocket money. I used to source all this clothing cheaply from Owino market and I would resell it at competitive prices.

Also read; How to sell online in Uganda

About Owino Market (St. Balikuddembe Market)

Owino Market is the largest open market in Uganda. The market occupies 7.04 hectares of land in Kampala.  The market was established in 1971 when Kampala Capital City (KCC) relocated about 320 vendors from Nakasero Market.

Initially KCC had named it the Minicipal, but vendors renamed it to Owino Market. The Owino whom the market was renamed after was an elderly man who was roasting maize and potatoes in the area that would later be occupied by the market.

Today Owino market is estimated to be having over 50,000 vendors of which 70% of them are women. Thousands of mivumba lovers visit the market on daily basis and the number tends to increase more towards festive seasons.

Owino Market is popularly known for its second-hand clothes, but you can find and buy everything from the market including groceries, home appliances, shoes, bags and so much more! It shouldn’t surprise you if you find yourself spending more time than you had planned while inside Owino Market – the diversity of the fare is very attractive, and once you are inside the market, it is quite hard to find your way out.

Also read: 9 Mistakes to avoid while shopping online in Uganda

So what are the advantages of buying second-hand clothes and items at Owino Market?

• They are cheap
• You are able to get variety
• Find unique clothes
• You are also able to get quality items.
• Find fashionable items at a fraction of the cost you would get them in USA or Europe.

Tips for buying second hand clothes at Owino Market

There are a few things to consider when shopping for mivumba at Owino Market. It may take you a lot of time to find what you are looking for. Below are the tips to follow when buying second-hand clothes from Owino Market.

1. Go on opening day

These are days vendors usually bring in new merchandise. These are the best days to shop at Owino market as all the new stuff is showcased. At Owino Market, new stuff are always brought it on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

2. Go early in the morning

The early bird catches the greatest outfits. 7am is not early enough if you want to find good suff. Well, you don’t need to be there before dawn but the earlier you go there, the better things you will get.

3. Bargain

The beauty of shopping clothes at Owino market is you can bargain on everything. You will be ripped off if you don’t bargain. Without bargaining, you might end up buying the outfit for an amount that is 3 times its worth. Even when the price is UGX 1,000/-, you can still bargain. The vendors are aware you will be blown blow away if the price is high and they always open to negotiations. If the price feels too high, don’t be afraid to bargain. Bargain just for the sake of it. The economy is tough!

4. Bring a friend along

A second opinion has never been important than when your decision-making is threatened by a smiling vendor who will always tell you that the outfit you have picked interest in looks super cool on you! Your friend will give you an honest opinion of how you look (don’t trust the vendor’s opinion, they tell you everything looks good on you). You can never go wrong in Owino Market if you go there with a friend who some experience shopping at the city market.

5. Do not go to stalls

Clothes in stalls are usually more expensive because sometimes the wash, fit or iron them, and they usually have different prices. The Mivumba that are in one pile are usually of the same and it is up to you to choose what you want. The mivumba in piles are usually available very early in the morning.

6. Have what to buy in mind or on a list

You can make a list of the items you want to buy or just go shopping with an attitude that I will buy what will interest me. Whatever way you plan to shop, it is wise to have in mind a figure of the amount you want to spend. Don’t carry a lot of money else you will end up broke because you were unable to resist that cute outfit. The best way to only carry an amount you need. This would save you from impulse buying.

7. Buy clothes that appeal to you

When you go shopping at Owino Market, look for clothes that appeal to you by texture, color or style. Texture is really important depending on what you like. People are different. Some like linen, cotton, silk, cashmere, leather, wool and some like synthetics. Whatever you choose, look for classic styles as they don’t date easily and they will stay in your wardrobe for a very long time.

8. Only buy things you like

Do not purchase things you don’t really like but just because you think they are on fashion. Only buy things that suit your personality, else you may buy them but never wear them. Before you buy anything, ask yourself whether it matches the accessories or clothes you already own. If it may needs special alterations or repairs and you know you are not likely to go to a tailor to fix it just leave it alone.

9. Buy what fits you

Do not buy clothes that don’t fit you hoping that you will soon lose weight or add weight. That would lead to clutter in your wardrobe as you are not wearing the item and you don’t want to give it away. You can buy great quality clothes that are bigger than what you have if you know if you know you will take them to the tailor and have them fitted to your size. Otherwise buy clothes that perfectly fit you in your current size.

10. Check for tears and stains

Check clothes for tears and stains. This is very important as it can be heartbreaking to get home and find out a cloth you bought for quite a big amount of money has a stain that cannot be removed or has tears that cannot be easily fixed and you do not have time to go back for exchange or the vendor does not accept returns and exchanges.

Things like missing buttons can be easily replaced if you really like the cloth and it is being sold at a reason price. One thing you should remember is if clothes have perspiration stains, they can never be removed by any kind of detergent.

Also check whether the colors of the outfit look like they will run or bleach. Some outfits get their colors ruined when you wash them make the cloth age faster if they keep losing some colour every time they are washed. Try to get outfits that are colourfast because that means they will look good for longer.

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11. Check clothes that have been resized.

Resizing clothes is very common in Owino Market. A seller can resize at outfit size 15 to 13 but they way they resize it may make the cloth unwearable. These clothes are normally sold by hawkers who move around the market. They usually sell pants and dresses and and do not have a place where you can try on the clothes. So you just buy based on the labels which are usally wrong.

12. Dress for going shopping.

This has two aspects. Wear something that you can wear something else on top of it. Most sellers in Owino Market do not have changing places, so you have to wear the tops, shirts, jeans or dresses on top of what you are already wearing. Try to wear something that won’t look bulky under the things you are trying on. Wear tights if you’re going to try on jeans or trousers.

13. Don’t dress expensively

Also, don’t dress in an expensive way when you are going shopping at Owino Market. Dress simple. Those sellers can tell quality a mile away and if you look like you can afford it they will charge 2-4times what they would charge another customer that is dressed simple.

14. Don’t be flattered by the low prices

Every denomination of the Ugandan currency can buy an item in Owino Market. From as low as UGX 500/-, you can buy a pair of ankle socks, sandals or even a shirt! If you are fooled by these incredibly low prices, you might be headed back home with huge luggage of complete crap that will not look good on you and you might never wear it. Price, though important, should never influence your way of choosing quality.

Also read; 21 ways to save money on grocery shopping in Uganda

Conclusion

Those are some of the best tips for buying clothes at Owino market. Some quick things to remember is to set a budget, go with a friendwith experience, try things on to be sure it fits you, check for stains and tears , don’t buy things you can’t wear etc Other things to remember is to always bargain, sense of humor and a bottle of water as shopping in Owino can be draining and you will need to rehydrate yourself while you move around shopping. After taking your clothes home, ensure you wash them in water with disinfectant so as to kill that any germs or mites that might be available in the clothes. Happy Mivumba shopping!