When small businesses or start-ups team up with established retail supermarkets, it can only mean one thing – the goods are of high quality, characteristics that should never be compromised.
Pillow Chick and Nictus Furnishers, the oldest furniture store in the country, seem to agree on this principle, hence the venture between the two since 2019.
Pillow Chick products, which also include bedsheets and curtains are locally made, affordable and can be made to specifications, according to owner of Pillow Chick, Julia Ndeilenga.
She told VIBEZ! her passion for interior design got her to start the business.
“I have always been a decor enthusiast, but I never knew that I could make the things I use to decorate. One day I decided to try sewing a cushion cover and it came out looking perfect. So, I decided to post it on social media to test the market,” she recalled.
Ndeilenga said that blew up in less than a week, which made her realise there is a market for it, and so the brand was born.
The mother of a three-month-old said she has received good feedback from clients all over the country since the brand came out in 2021.
“It is not only for decor enthusiasts like me but also people wishing to gift their friends,” added Ndeilenga.
She noted that working in the décor industry takes a lot of passion, hard work and dedication because it’s a niche market, adding that not everyone likes to decorate around their houses, so “you really have a very small and specific market to work with”.
On the partnership with Nictus, she said it has been her greatest achievement, and has brought tremendous growth to the brand in a short period.
The 30-year-old Walvis Bay-born entrepreneur said she is excited to be working on new projects, as this is a great indicator of growth.
“With the pandemic hitting a lot of businesses, we were fortunate enough that this has only pushed us harder. We have added new products to the brand like bedsheets and curtains, and hoping to successfully add more accessories in the future.”
Nictus Furnishers spokesperson Henok Sivambi said the venture with Ndeilenga came as a result of her work and the way she marketed her pillows.
“We saw her products on Twitter and asked her to come in and demo a couple of samples. Thereafter, we offered the opportunity to stock her products on a consignment basis and grow from there. The partnership is very fruitful. We are happy to sell her quality products,” he said. Sivambi added that many local entrepreneurs have come and gone; some have stayed on and Nictus support them loyally if they can continuously supply at a good cost and quality.
– psiririka@nepc.com.na