‘SAVE A SPACE FOR ME IN YOUR LUGGAGE’

The world is now turning into a little “market”. You can easily make an income if you have that extra room in your luggage when traveling abroad. IUE entrepreneurs bring travelers and those who wish to purchase products that are hard to find in close surroundings together through “glocalzone”. IUE entrepreneurs bring those who travel abroad and those who want to purchase products abroad together at an online platform they called glocalzone.

Burak Sönmez and İclal Keskin, students at Department of Software Engineering, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), together with Oğuzhan Sarıtaş, Akile Ekin Dönmez, Aybüke Türkmen, Tolga Danışmaz, and Erdem Erbaba, developed the platform, which allows consumers to have access to world markets from wherever they are, based on the approach ‘nothing is unreachable’. Burak Sönmez gave information about Glocalzone and stated that one time he forgot to take a beverage with him to Barcelona that he was asked to bring from Turkey, and then he realized the need for such a platform when he tried to find someone who would bring that beverage. Sönmez reported that last June they initiated the platform that brings people traveling to different countries with people who want products from those countries, and since then they had 300 members. “If you have ever been abroad for Exchange program, project, business or pleasure, there are products that you miss from that particular place or from your own country. We claim that it is not very difficult to have those products any more. It’s a win win situation for both parties: people have their products and those who bring the products make money from the empty space in their luggage,” said Sönmez.

‘Both profitable and pleasing’

Sönmez, who pointed that they aim to prevent hassle of shipment, order follow up, high shipping rates with this platform, stated the following:

“Since the system allows one-on-one communication with the traveler during and after the transaction, demanded products may be delivered wherever, whenever. In today’s world, travelling has become a luxury, therefore, our team, consisting of students entirely; offer a good solution for travelers. By using the empty space in their luggage, travelers both make money and opportunity to make others happy. We put the Beta version into service as of July and had 300 members so far with people traveling to 23 different countries. Glocalzone is currently being supported by Erasmus Student Network Turkey, network that volunteers to serve foreign national students studying in Turkey, by Izmir Chamber of Commerce and Endeavor Turkey Mentor Campus program.”

How does the system work?

After the travelers share information about their travels and the list of products they can bring on the platform, members send a request to them through the platform. When both parties come to an agreement on the price and the delivery, they carry out the money transaction via using the safe system. The system is going through the last upgrades. The Beta version in service right now allows the whole process except for the payment part.