Christmas is coming and the end of the year 2024 is approaching. With owner Sjors Brekoo, of furniture wholesaler Moodscollection, we look back on the past year and look ahead to 2025. What were the milestones, were there any challenges last year that they faced as a furniture wholesaler and what are the plans for the coming year?
In the middle Sjors Brekoo with colleagues at Brussels Furniture Fair.
What were the main milestones and successes of the past year for Moodscollection?
'A year and a half ago, we decided to completely revise our strategy. Where we were previously known for coffee tables, we noticed that those sales were not consistent. At the same time, we were already selling chairs in a limited selection of fabrics and colours, and that was doing better and better. So in mid-2023, we shifted our focus entirely to chairs and bar stools in a combination of custom-made and stock items.
2024 was all about investing in this transformation. For instance, we developed a chair configurator and created fabric books for customers. With a range of 100 fabrics, six bases and various colours, it was important to present this strong visually. Where previously we only delivered from stock, we now also offer custom-made products with a delivery time of three months. This transition required adjustments: our warehouse had to be emptied of small furniture to make room for chairs. Partly due to the clearance sale of furniture, we managed to keep sales stable.
An absolute breakthrough was our presentation at the Furniture Fair in Brussels. The new Moodscollection received great feedback from both customers and colleagues. We feel more in place than ever and are working to become a household name in the furniture and interiors industry. This strengthens us in our mission: to deliver high-quality custom-made products at reasonable prices. We are now truly a specialist and determined to grow into a household name in the market in the coming years.'
What challenges did you encounter and how did you tackle them?
'Like many companies, we had to deal with fluctuating container prices. In addition, the change in strategy meant that turnover lagged behind in the first half of 2024. That required frugality and making smart choices, but we did everything under our own steam, without debt capital. Privately, we invested heavily, which is not always pleasant, but we are now seeing the fruits of that: turnover is now doubling almost monthly. We will always invest, in stock, software, presentation there is always a desire to get better at something.
After launching Moodscollection in 2017, we experienced rapid growth that proved difficult to finance. After all, everything had to be paid in advance, while our customers only pay after 30 days after delivery. Now Moodscollection is entering its ninth year and we have the means to finance this growth. We are in no hurry and are still growing entirely under our own steam. That gives us peace of mind as well as control.'
What are your main goals and priorities for 2025?
'2025 will be our year! The collection is strong, the presentation in shops works, and our prices are competitive. With a few additions, we can definitely move forward a year. That gives us room to work on private labels for buying organisations, in fact we got that question a lot at the fair in Brussels and are now following it up.
We are also planning a major investment: a new showroom in our premises. It will be an experience centre where project designers, interior designers, retailers and other interior professionals can take their customers. Retailers can test our chairs and bar stools here together with consumers, while project designers and interior architects can use this space for their collaborations with hoteliers and restaurant owners. Our focus here is entirely on supporting these professionals to provide their customers with an optimal experience.
To complete the hotel experience, we also integrate a bar and a kitchen. This way, customers can not only experience our products, but also fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere in which our chairs and bar stools come into their own. Our aim is to create a space that customers cannot ignore, where they are immediately convinced of our quality and collection.'
What trends and developments in the market will influence your strategy for the coming year?
'Digitalisation remains an important pillar. Our configurator with photo-realistic display is an example of how we are leading the way with this. Customers want choice, but often within an affordable price range. Our model offers that: a wide range for a price between €200 and €300, without making concessions on quality.
In addition, we continue to build on transparency. Soon, customers will be able to follow the production process: from manufacturing to loading and the expected arrival date at port. Unfortunately, it remains difficult to track ships due to conflicts, but we hope this will improve in the future.'
How do you expect customers and employees to benefit from the planned changes?
'The results already speak for themselves. Since our fabric books are in shops and chairs are on the floor, we see that sales are coming naturally. Customers can immediately imagine what a chair looks like in their favourite fabric thanks to our configurator. This shortens the decision process, leading to more sales for our customers and for us.
In the meantime, we continue to invest in quality and sustainability. It is important that our customers trust our products and service not only now, but also in the future. That is what we are working towards.'
How do you look at future international growth and participation in trade shows?
'We were asked by Maison&Objet to participate there, which is a huge honour. However, for the upcoming edition in January, we have decided not to participate yet. First, we want to serve the order flow and new customers well before taking the next step. For the Netherlands, we have in-house sales, and that's going fine. But when we enter the European market soon, we want to set up a network of agents. It would be ideal to have already taken steps in that direction before we participate in larger fairs.
We are open to talks with agents and partners who share our vision. Building a strong network is an important step for the future, and we are happy to take the time to do so.'
More information:
Moods Collection
Steenoven 3
5626 DK Eindhoven
The Netherlands
+31(0)40 78 20 666
[email protected]
www.moodscollection.com