With passion for South Africa, her people and the “lighter and brighter side of beautiful living”, new lifestyle retail chain Beetroot Inc has found a recipe for success we could all emulate.
“Our offering is different and fresh – and it was clear from the start that it would resonate with a segment of the market. It is a work in progress and we learn new things (about ourselves and our clients) every day,” says CEO Elize van der Berg.
Beetroot Inc. was launched four years ago with the main objective being sustainable job creation, says van der Berg. The fledgling business initially made and supplied scatter cushions to corporate companies. Now a retail business with seven branches in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, the main impetus for the inception of the company remains the same.
“Job creation is essential to make South Africa work,” says Van der Berg. “We started with two people and a sewing machine and now have more than fifty people on the payroll. Those first two employees are still with the company. We also collaborate with small entrepreneurs who employ people too – we estimate Beetroot Inc supports about 600 people.”
The product range is diverse and currently includes couches, chairs, coffee tables (made from recycled wood), eco-friendly utility furniture (like mobile work stations and trolleys), lampshades, hand-crafted handbags, uniquely designed scatter cushions, placemats, runners, tablecloths and aprons, pochettes (colourful envelope-sized and -shaped utility bags and soft jewellery. Corporate gifts, novelties and congratulatory flags complete the Beetroot Inc. product offering.
The real game changer is that Beetroot Inc. customers can personalise any furniture item they order – adjusting dimensions to suit space requirements and choosing from a variety of fabric and paint finishes. The company also offers to custom-make items that are not part of their current product range, and will reupholster old-favourite furniture pieces too.
“We will keep on experimenting with our product offering,” says van der Berg. It is part of providing consumers with a different retail experience. They must feel free to relax and explore the diversity of Beetroot’s authentic product range and share in the joy and the fun created by South Africans for South Africans.”
Beetroot Inc.’s board members combine an array of skills from different backgrounds; this means the company is able to tap into their management, retail, sales and marketing experience. Similarly, the design of the products is, mostly, a collaborative process, with designers, artists and even shop assistants giving input, continues van der Berg.
“The business is proof that you can harness the power of diversity collectively for the common good,” she continues. “The only proviso is that people must work in the same direction so that they can all contribute towards reaching the company’s objectives.”
Van der Berg says, “We are grateful that we can offer something to people who enjoy the lighter and brighter side of beautiful living – as our pay-off line states. To provide this, we tap into what our team members have in common, we don’t focus on the differences. It is this collective consciousness that drives the company forward.”
A mantra for the nation.
For more information, please visit via http://www.beetrootinc.co.za Beetroot Inc has stores in Gauteng (Menlyn Maine, Fourways Mall, Waterkloof Corner Store, Springs Mall), KZN (Ballito Junction) and the Western Cape (Table Bay Mall, Tyger Valley Centre).