Page 16 - HGR March + April 2019
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14 NEWSLINE
Discount Furniture Wholesalers -
Megacouch
Rob van der Miller retail operation. Basically, I’m putting into this warehouse.”
heads up one of the practice many of the lessons I learned over “It is a successful business model and
most interesting and the years.”
fascinating operations we are still growing,” he emphasizes. “In
within the furniture “Carefully identifying the correct fact I have advanced plans to expand into
suppliers has definitely not been an easy Namibia and Botswana and via agents
market. challenge, and we don’t mess with our we are already in Zimbabwe, the DRC and
suppliers. So essentially I source from my Zambia.” In 2014 Van der Miller went online
But much more than that – Discount carefully selected suppliers both locally and - “one of the best decisions we have ever
Furniture Wholesalers is a division of his internationally through extensive research made. We have our own website and have
company and is a flourishing operation, and also attending annual Furniture Expos a dedicated team monitoring it constantly.
and in this day and age successful, money from China, Malaysia, Vietnam to Brazil.” We attract 1500 visitors – consumers
making retailers are scarce. However, it basically – every day. And we know what
is not easy to categorise Van der Miller’s “Our sense of style and design combined they are looking at and what is of interest
operation. We spoke to him recently to with price puts us streets ahead of to them. So our agents can follow up. It
elaborate on his business structures. our competitors. Discount Furniture has worked incredibly well,” declared Rob.
Wholesalers has become the supply “We produce our own advertising which
In fact I have front for the ever expanding smaller retail is on the website. So we advertise a range
advanced plans operation and agents situated not only of products from established suppliers
to expand into in South Africa, but Africa too. I have in and will get a contribution from them
Namibia and excess of 80 of these smaller retailers depending on the sales.” Rob has just the
Botswana and and agents who buy directly from me one wholly owned branded product line.
via agents we and sell on and the success of this is that “This is a bedding line called Megapedic and
are already they utilise door to door sales people who is totally comprehensive as we offer the
in Zimbabwe, know the area and importantly know the entire range from singles up to Kings.”
the DRC and residents too.”
Zambia... “If a new small retailer or agent comes to
“Besides that, I also use a 10 000 square us and commits himself to us we will even
Said Rob: “I left the corporate retail meter warehouse where I stock my entire do shopfitting for him. We will ensure his
industry in 2003 and decided to chance range and have just expanded into another shop is attractive and welcoming,” revealed
my arm and go it alone. Although we warehouse across the road because I Rob. Currently Rob’s stable comprises
are in retail we are definitely not a classic was battling with shortage of space, this of Discount Décor, Furniture Liquidation
is because our stock mix is so huge and Warehouse and Mega Couch and Mattress,
always available. We encourage smaller purely retail operations, and Discount
retailers and agents to use the 5000 square Furniture Wholesalers.
meter showroom as their own and bring
their customers in.” Rob van der Miller has designed a
smooth and efficient wholesale and retail
“The smaller retailers or agents can operation, but whether it’s success can
show their prospective customers be easily duplicated by others envious of
around and perhaps even interest them his success is debatable. He is very much
in merchandise which was not on their a unique businessman who makes up
original buying list. I also provide another his own rules, based on local market and
service for them by producing catalogues overseas trends coupled with a unique
for all of them. This is a massive growth ability to identify consumer purchasing
area. So although we are retailers on one behaviors, interests and their needs as he
level, we are wholesalers too supplying goes along.
smaller retailers and agents directly from
HOME GOODS RETAILER | MARCH / APRIL 2019
