Property &Investments

LIVING SPACES

Courting the Kenyan consumer

New entrant to retail furniture market, Victoria Courts, oers unique shopping experience
BY AAMERA JIWAJI s international brands jostle to seduce the pockets of Kenyas growing middle class, retail furniture outlets are widening the palette of available designs. The most recent indication of this trend is Victoria Courts, the partnership between Victoria Furnitures and Courts Mauritius. The 40-year old Victoria Furnitures sold its home furniture segment at the end of last year to 25-year old giant Courts Mauritus which has a foothold on the small French island, and is owned by Bramcom Holding, the commercial arm of British American Investment Mauritius. We joined forces to serve the Kenyan market because we believe there is a huge potential in this country because of the emerging aspirational middle class, said Victoria Courts CEO Raj Doolun. While other Kenyan furniture companies like Furniture Palace and the Fairdeal Group have chosen to set up showrooms on Mombasa road where space is not at a premium, Victoria Courts is located in the up market suburb of Westlands, and boasts a retail shopping experience unparalleled in Kenyan consumer culture: 40,000 square feet on 3 levels. The spacious design of the showroom, the soft spoken CEO explained, lends itself to a relaxed shopping experience, while extended working hours appeal to the young professional. In uent English, punctuated by a strong French accent, Mr Doolun described the Westlands showroom as a destination shop where everything required for a house, regardless of price, is available. This includes retail furniture, the mainstay of the Kenyan company, and premium electronics from Samsung with whom Victoria Courts have signed an exclusive
| Nairobi Business Monthly February

The Gautier line at Victoria Courts is an aspirational product. Left: Victoria Courts CEO Raj Doolan

partnership. Their diversication of product oerings means Victoria Courts will also compete with supermarket chains like Nakumatt, Tuskys, Ukwala and Uchumi who oer furniture and domestic appliances. The products we oer are for every pocket, every market segment, every family, said Mr Doolun. We are not pitching to the high market. Dining table options, for instance, range from Sh10,000 to Sh125,000 depending on style and brand. Their range of international designs include those from Malaysia, the Middle East and an exclusive French brand Gautier. Gautier is an aspirational product, said Mr Doolun, and its contemporary designs are geared towards home furniture including dining sets, bedding and TV units. International furniture lines available in the Kenyan market include the Italian brands Barezzi and Nicoletti at Furniture Palace, while Fairdeal concentrates on Eastern designs from

China, Malaysia, Pakistan, India and Indonesia. Victoria Courts oers items in a range of materials including solid woods, rubberwoods, and modern materials like MDF, and Mr Doolun says the softer lines in MDF are popular among the younger generation. The new entrant intends to open a second showroom on Koinange Street in the city centre in April. Future plans also include working with local furniture manufacturers. We have started selling beds of local wood which are very popular and the quality is very good. This is something in our strategy, to develop the local market, Mr Doolun said. According to a Citigroup study last year, Kenya has the second most developed retail market in sub-Saharan Africa with 30% of retail shopping taking place in formal outlets. The region is seen as the next growth frontier for large retailers keen to cash in on growing consumer demand.