Shelving his dreams

With the help of IT, Dutchman Jaap Snoeck Henkemans makes Malaysia the regional home for his eco-friendly furniture venture, writes Rozana Sani

ON his first visit here 10 years ago, Jaap Snoeck Henkemans experienced an epiphany. As he and his tech consultant wife stepped out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, he felt a sense of homecoming.

A Dutch raised in India, Snoeck Henkemans was no stranger to the region, being a consultant all over Asia. But from that first visit to Malaysia, followed by many other trips, he knew this was where he wanted to call home when his two children had flown the nest.

“I’ve always felt more tropic than Nordic. I told my wife ‘this is where I want to live’, after a visit to Penang. We were staying at the newly refurbished EO Hotel. We moved to Kuala Lumpur permanently in 2011,” he says.

Before relocating, the couple took stock of their lives. Since they were still years away from retirement, they needed a way to sustain their livelihood here. His wife suggested importing Kewlox Cabinets to sell here.

Kewlox Cabinets produces made-to-order modular storage furniture in Europe. The cabinets are based on a system created by Kewley, an English engineer, in 1958.

Pieces of the storage cabinets fit together without nails or screws, and can be assembled without any tools via an interlocking mechanism. Jacques Leclercq, a Belgian metal products merchant, discovered the Kewlox concept that same year at a London trade show and decided to buy the licence and set up the Kewlox Cabinets factory in Belgium. The business gradually expanded to the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Today, vast improvements have been made to the products. Notably, the wood for the cabinets comes from a sustainably managed forest in Europe. The shelves are made from high-density fibre wood and can withstand weight up to 80kg.

“My wife bought some units for our house in the Netherlands some time ago. Considering the huge number of European fans of Kewlox Cabinets and its durable quality, we decided to bring it here. We drew up a business plan for the Dutch dealer of Kewlox Cabinets, presented it and got the licence to distribute in Asia,” says Snoeck Henkemans.

The couple set up a shop in Publika Solaris Dutamas in Kuala Lumpur early last year.

“While Kuala Lumpur is our base, we have plans for Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta,” he says.

BUILDING A BUSINESS

However, being the new kid on the block had its challenges .

Kewlox Cabinets are generally made-to-order. Its parts are available in many dimensions, materials and colours, which allow buyers to configure practically any combination imaginable. To help customers design and according to their needs and budget, there is an online design tool on the company website called the Calkewlator. At every point you can click the 3D or the Full 3D button to see your designs. “Once the designs are finalised, we build and assemble the cabinets based on them,” says Snoeck Henkemans.

But getting traffic to either website or the physical store and showroom was not easy and Snoeck Henkemans was adamant about making Kewlox Cabinets Asia more prominent. He delegated a large portion of the day-to-day operations of the business to store manager Vedra Lukacevic and logistics and customer service manager Cedrick Achille. As CEO, he set down to work on the more strategic side of the business — the deals, partnerships and everything online.

Snoeck Henkemans tapped into Google Ads and optimised its usage in such a way that Kewlox Cabinets Asia ads only pop up at very relevant search strings. He created a Facebook page for the business which at Press time, had 49,486 likes. He also opened a LinkedIn account.

“Before starting the business, I never touched Linkedin, Google Ads, Facebook or built websites. I had to learn everything from scratch. But I’m quite IT savvy so that worked out well. I spend 17 hours at work, 10 of which I spend behind my computer. It is long hours but I’m enjoying every bit of it and it still feels like a holiday,” he says with eyes twinkling.

Elaborating on Facebook as a marketing tool, Snoeck Henkemans says that based on the page’s current fans and their friends, Kewlox Cabinets has access to some 12 million Malaysian Facebook users.

“I try to be careful about what I post on Facebook because my audience has become so big, and I don’t want to make a mistake. You don’t want to do too many posts, or people will get bored. I try to post something attractive every few days. As soon as I do, I see the visits on website go up. The website gets about 13,000 visitors per month. And a lot of them start at Facebook. We now have a big brand awareness because of our Facebook presence,” he says.

The secret to having your audience hooked on Facebook, according to Snoeck Henkemans, is sexy images of your products. And Kewlox is a very visual product.

“Until recently, about 80 per cent of my business started on Facebook. Then visitors moved on to the website. When they see the images of the product, design tool and our contact page, many visit the shop. Of course, they like to see our products before they make their order. Direct online orders happen once in a blue moon. However, repeat customers are very comfortable with ordering online. They send in designs, ask for a quotation and that’s it,” says Snoeck Henkemans.

For those apprehensive about creating their own designs, Snoeck Henkemans and his team provide assistance.

“Because the online tool is very precise, sometimes we get a floor plan of the shop or home and create designs for the client. Or they could ask us to come over and take measurements and we will come up with a proposal. I usually do the measuring myself and this pleases the clients.”

EXPANSION

Having been in business for 1½ years, Snoeck Henkemans reports that he is happy with the progress. Revenue has hit seven digits and the company has not only delivered orders in the Klang Valley but also to Singapore, Kuantan, Terengganu, Penang and soon, Langkawi.

He is also slowly but surely picking up Bahasa Malaysia.

“Seventy per cent of our customers are homeowners. The mobility in the local real estate market is very high. A lot of people upgrade, get a bigger house and are in a position to hire interior designers to buy new furniture. Or they are renovating and require new furniture too. But there are also those who see our products, look at their own sagging shelves and replace them with our products. We have a lot of repeat customers.”

Customers like stylish and quality contemporary furniture and Snoeck Henkemans is optimistic about business growth based on this trend.

“We have plans to have a presence in Singapore as Kewlox Cabinets concept fit homes there to a tee.”

He also hopes to move the business to a place with at least 557 sq m to include a showroom, warehouse and office.

Furniture on-the-go

CONSUMERS are becoming increasingly gadget-savvy and often spend a lot of time online seeking information, exchanging ideas and making decisions based on what they gather before finalising on a purchase. This applies to a variety of goods and products, furnishing included.

Recognising this, ready-to-assemble furniture retailer Ikeahas made available a mobile app to shoppers here to enhance their shopping experience.

“The new Ikea mobile app was created to bring store information right to the customers’ finger tips from their Android or iPhone. As surfing the web from a mobile device is becoming as popular as browsing on a desktop computer, the mobile app works alongside the mobile-friendly Ikea website and Catalogue app to provide a seamless experience,” says deputy regional marketing manager Yeong Tze Kuen.

Both the iOS and Android versions of the application are downloadable for free at the Apple App Store and Android Google Play respectively. The app is available in both English and Malay.

Through the app, consumers can access store information prior to their visit to the store, allowing them to have more time to shop and to make better purchase decisions.

It enables customers to browse the Ikea product range and check product information and stock availability. It also allows the creation of shopping lists that include the product’s location for pick up in the store. Customers can even access a store map on their phone to make navigating easier. They are also able to find home furnishing inspiration and are updated with the latest promotions.

Since its launch in April, the app has had more than 3,000 downloads  (at Press time).

Details at www.IKEA.com.my/mobile.

Versatile cabinet.

Lukacevic looking through cabinet designs.

Snoeck Henkemans showing the weight the cabinets can withstand.

Achille preparing an order.

(Fom left) Achille, Snoeck Henkemans and Lukacevic make a team.

Dual-purpose workspace.

Customers can design their own cabinets with this online tool.

The app brings store information right to the customers’ finger tips.

The Ikea mobile app.

Shelving his dreams