‘Local is lekker’ – Nictus furniture opts for locally manufactured products
In an effort to expand on variety offered, Nictus Furnishers once again forged relationships with local manufacturers, adding to the locally-manufactured Gweri socks already available at the retailer’s Windhoek branch.
Nictus Furnishers this week debuted locally-manufactured products at its Windhoek branch as part of the retailer’s recent agreements with local manufacturers.
It all started with the #LookingForLocal campaign that forms part of the retailer’s strategy to stock local products.
Francois Wahl, CEO of Nictus Furnishers, said the campaign started from social media where suppliers were invited to exhibit their products at the market day organized by the retailer, “These 10 local suppliers were selected based on different criteria including how much they were able to sell on the market day”.
Among the selected local suppliers, are SunCycles, a company that manufactures eco-friendly electric bicycles and Divine Leather Manufacturing who specialize in the production of leather products. Other selected suppliers include manufacturers of wooden, metal furniture and cosmetic products sourced from local ingredients.
Wahl also said the agreements with the new local suppliers are on a 6-month basis but looks forward to permanent partnerships with performing suppliers. “The vision is to have long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial for both parties and overall making local products accessible on a commercial scale.”
“When we started our relationship with Gweri Vintage Collections, it was initially just for our Windhoek branch but due to the demand, plans of launching the socks at both our northern and coastal branches are already under way and the same can be expected for the local products that will prove themselves in these few months, it’s a learning process for all of us,” he added.
According to Wahl, marketing an obstacle that many start-ups face, forms part of the agreements and suppliers will be provided marketing support.
Suppliers also benefit by having their products exposed to a much larger audience and expanding their reach to as far as the coastal and northern towns where Nictus branches are located, he said.
