Franchising News South Africa

First KZN Pick & Build branch opens its doors in Durban

The home and commercial development and construction market in KwaZulu-Natal is to receive a significant boost with the opening of the first Pick & Build franchise operation in Durban.

The new store is at 15 Ordnance Rd, Shop No. 1a, Durban Central Business District (right opposite City Lodge) and is the latest branch to emerge from an expanding list of the group's franchisee operations across South Africa.

The branch stocks a wide range of building supply material, including paint, tiles, taps, chemicals, power supplies (including generators), plumbing and security, and - in keeping with the franchise mandate - is focused on quality finishing within the broader construction market.

The focus is on serving large-scale property developers and contractors with a one-stop service, but the group's branches have well appointed showrooms carrying stock, and designed to appeal to smaller contractors and home improvers.

Franchise owner Khaleel Ravat, in conjunction with his team, Rajen Ticka, Anisha Ticka and Tayeba Ravat, will deal directly with developers and believes ongoing economic growth and development in the region, coupled with the province's appeal to local visitors and tourists, represents a sound, sustainable platform for the launch of the business.

The team has conceptualised and secured a number of key advantages as part of the overall go-to-market strategy. This includes exclusivity on a full range of SABS-approved Pick & Build-branded paint, which is claimed to be 20% cheaper than competitive products in the region.

Service to clients will incorporate support from experienced back-up personnel and daily visits to sites, and the branch will leverage off the group's extensive presence in other parts of the country to transfer this buying power and expertise to KZN.

The franchise group forms part of the Real Africa Brands franchise stable, which covers a number of sectors including construction, real estate, travel, and consumer goods, all considered lucrative industries for small-to-medium business development.

“A key differential quality inherent to us is that we concentrate primarily on finishes, since it represents the bulk of most projects' costs and therefore the ideal opportunity to secure savings for our developers, contractors and home improvers,” comments Harold Prinsloo, Pick & Build's MD.

The branch is open from 07h30 - 17h00 on weekdays and from 08h00 - 12h30 on Saturdays. For more information, call (031) 337-0337.

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