Why No One Talks About OK Furniture Anymore

Ok Furniture is a well-established South African furniture brand. It is owned by the Shoprite group and has been a prominent player in the furniture industry for a while, alongside other popular stores of it’s day like Bears Furniture, Lewis and Joshua Doore. Many people, especially those aged 26 and above, would definitely recall the memorable advertisements on SABC and DSTV from the good old days.

Quick Facts about OK Furniture

• Ok Furniture more than 400 stores in branches across South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and Angola
• In 2019 OK Furniture was Voted South Africa’s No. 1 Furniture Retailer at the Ask Afrika Icon Awards by SA shoppers for the second consecutive year.
• OK Furniture, originally named OK Bazaars, was founded in 1927 by Michael Miller and Sam Cohen.

With well over 400 stores across Southern Africa, Ok Furniture has been a strong contender in the furniture market, capturing a significant portion of the pie. Historically, Ok Furniture was particularly favored among low to middle-income households, especially grandparents and the older auntie demographic. However, the furniture market has undergone recent changes. Personally, having worked in the furniture industry for over four years, I have witnessed and studied these shifts extensively.

Why is no one talking about OK Furniture anymore?

Several factors have contributed to the decline of OK Furniture over the past few years. Here are some key reasons:

Rise in competition

Initially, running a successful ad campaign meant relying on TV commercials or newspaper ads, which only big companies could afford. OK Furniture thrived under this method. However, with the rise of digital marketing, more people saw opportunities to establish their own brands. Setting up an online shop and running digital ads became accessible, intensifying competition in the industry and impacting OK Furniture.

Lack of Innovation

For some inexplicable reason, OK Furniture has been hesitant to adapt to changing times. Their products largely appeal to older demographics, overlooking young professionals who wield significant buying power in our country. As a result, their market has shrunk considerably.

OK Furniture is not yet defunct but is rapidly heading in that direction. Unlike stores such as Lewis, which promptly recognized these changes in the market and launched the UFO brand, OK Furniture remained complacent in its market position. The primary factors sustaining OK Furniture currently are their credit offerings and their line of electronics and appliances, although these too face stiff competition from eCommerce giants like Takealot, JD Group brands and Game.

Conclusion

In the fiercely competitive digital landscape dominated by competitors such as Peace Home, Home Go Furniture, UFO, Rochester, Bradlows, and Furniture Spot, OK Furniture finds itself in a precarious position. Unless they pivot by establishing a new brand or taking strategic initiatives, their future looks uncertain.