RYAN Reyes, owner-operator of BXL BITZ, says in the nearly two years he’s been running his e-commerce shop, he finds it exciting and rewarding to navigate the highs and hiccups associated with selling localized croc charms, license plate frames, and more.
“I encourage people to start [an e-commerce business],” Reyes said. “Everyone wants to make money and become something. It’s just a matter of doing it and finding the right niche.“
On his website, bxlbitz.com, customers can choose from dozens of products. Reyes said his croc charms alone feature over 300 designs.
Croc charms have come into fashion recently with youth and adults all over the world, and the CNMI has caught the trend as well.
The localized croc charms Reyes offers on his website and social media pages run the gamut of things associated with the Marianas. For example, customers can purchase canned corned beef, Spam musubi, Marianas flag, Marianas seal, latte stone, and Vicks Vapor Rub charms.
Reyes said many off-island customers fall in love with the items he sells, and that he’s busy sending products to the states.
He said his products can reach customers wherever the U.S. Postal Service delivers.
And that’s just the beginning.
“Charms are just our first product. I’m trying to be entrepreneurial and find other products,” Reyes said.
These include his “simple” Hafa Adai/Tirow license plate frames that quickly sold out on their first round of production.
Reyes has the capability to produce more. Yori Yori, an apparel and accessory shop in San Vicente, has a stock of license plate frames available from subsequent rounds of production.
Reyes likewise sells a black CNMI flag with an interesting background story.
“A lot of people were questioning us, why is it black? A black flag is the opposite of a white flag,” Reyes said. “A white flag means you’re going to surrender, a black flag means you’re going to keep on fighting.”
Reyes is a bit of a fighter himself, taking care of his farm plot in Kagman and working 9-to-5 in a second job to support his wife and two children.
The e-commerce venture is a side-gig of his, but one that he clearly enjoys and is passionate about.
“In the future I want to see these charms at I Love Saipan and other places for tourists to buy.” Reyes said. “There are a lot of Korean tourists and there’s not a lot of localized souvenirs.”
Reyes said as his business grows, he’ll consider settling into a brick-and-mortar establishment of his own, because he has other products he’d be interested in offering the Marianas. However, for now, he’s content to sell his goods online.
A full list of Croc charms and other products are available at bxlbitz.com/.
Reyes said for the entire month June, certain charms can be as low as $1 with the use of the promo code “summer.”
