GBA Lifestyle News
An elevator convo with Hugo Tse and Vikki Cheung. See here for more from our Next Up series.
What do you do?
We are the founders of a lifestyle company called 9 TO 6 LIFE, aimed at helping office workers to relax and get through their days. We established two brands, 9 TO 6 and CANTON BLOOM, two years ago.
9 TO 6 is a fashion brand for classic and timeless pieces that are designed locally in Hong Kong. The name is derived from the Cantonese saying, “朝九晚六” (jiu gau man luk, from nine to six). We aim to provide a wide range of great-quality office wear for office hours and also for afterwork hours.
CANTON BLOOM is our tea brand. since we believe that tea is more calming and generally has less caffeine than coffee and is perfect for the office professionals. We source all natural, pesticide-free and whole leaf tea blends directly from local tea farms from around the globe.
How does your business work?
We sell our products online and have occasional pop-ups to drive customers to our showroom in Causeway Bay. We build our brand awareness through collaborations with retail stores and other international or local brands like the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
How did you get started?
We got started like any other small business, trying to create something new and useful for the market. We are family friends with different skills and backgrounds that complement one another.
Both of us found that working hours in Hong Kong are some of the longest in the world, and we wanted to build a platform to help the professionals achieve more work-life balance.
Who are your customers?
The office crew and any health freaks!
Can you give us a rundown of a day in your working life?
Since running a start-up is always hectic, we do everything – from accounting and sourcing to sales and order arrangements. We basically spend most of our time planning how to execute our growth strategy (seasonal promotions / pop ups / event collaborations).
In the afternoon, we run meetings with clients, suppliers or other brand owners.
Where do you see yourself/your business in 5 years?
We would love to become a number one lifestyle platform slash curator, with useful wellness and styling tips and products for the office crew, not only in Hong Kong but also in all big cities – where we can help all professionals recharge and feel good despite their long working hours.
