For more than 12 years, the management of Meubelen Gaverzicht has maintained contacts with the Austrian XXXLutz Group, a large international furniture and interior design player active in 14 European countries. In recent years, the bond between the two family businesses has become increasingly close, resulting in a far-reaching form of cooperation.
"The interior industry is a small world, you meet each other regularly," says director Dominique Derycke (60). "Lutz's DNA is very close to Gaverzicht's regular furniture business. They want to get a foothold in Belgium, where they were not yet active. We know the furniture and retail market inside out. They asked us, we responded positively, mainly because we want to secure Gaverzicht's future. So it is not an acquisition, but a strategic partnership," he stresses.
A view of Gaverzicht's branch in Deerlijk.
"Meubelen Gaverzicht has existed for 75 years," Dominique continues. "One day you think about the next 75 years. You have to look across borders as well as generations. In fact, you have a legacy, you've built something and you want to safeguard it for the future. If you look at the possibilities: Belgium is a small country; 200 km from east to west and 100 km from north to south and only 11 million inhabitants. Comparable to a big city. But we have a lot of diversity in terms of languages and cultures in our little country."
"We have a good thing going here with Gaverzicht. Buildings stand the test of time. But we humans have an end date. It ends somewhere. Besides, all sorts of technologies are popping up, which, especially if you are a bit older, are not always easy to keep up with. And you simply cannot stay at the helm until you are 80. You have to face the future with an open mind. All this is what made us partner with XXXLutz Group."
Purchasing network
This collaboration gives Gaverzicht access to the largest furniture purchasing network in Europe. It offers the Flemish interior design company with branches in Deerlijk and Mouscron economies of scale and strengthens the company's future. "We can further broaden our offer to consumers, but remain loyal to our current, regular suppliers from the Netherlands and Belgium. If they are smart, they will try to join GIGA international, the largest furniture purchasing network in Europe to which Lutz is also affiliated," he indicates.
Gaverzicht's brand name and family values will be retained, and the management team will continue to operate locally. For employees in Deerlijk and Mouscron, nothing will change. "We employ 130 people, which also means 130 families for whom we are securing a future.
In addition, we want to rejuvenate our family business. I belong to the second generation, we now want to give space to the third generation. The idea is for us to keep going for a while and gradually transfer business. As the second generation, we were able to evolve with Gaverzicht, which is a lot easier than the current situation for the third generation. Therefore, there needs to be an organisation that the younger generation can fall back on. They are not obliged to anything, as long as they can use their talents."
Thinking differently
According to Dominique Derycke, it is not an easy story to continue your furniture business. "You have to think differently. We have seen it with the many stores that have closed because there is no succession. Medium and large businesses have different problems. Towards the future, there must be prospects for successors. We wanted to achieve this by cooperating with the Austrians."
"When it comes to the digital world, Belgium lags behind. The XXXLutz group has all the know-how in that field, so we as Gaverzicht can use that. Consumers have changed a lot in recent years. Fun shopping is no more. Consumers now prepare themselves fully before coming to an interior design shop, often with a considerable budget. They want to see the furniture in real life, feel the fabrics, which is the advantage of our physical shops. Beforehand, they inform themselves whether you carry certain brands and only then do they come to your shop. Then you have to be ready."
More information:
Gaverzicht Deerlijk
Stationsstraat 233
8540 Deerlijk
Gaverzicht Mouscron
Avenue of the Allies 270
7700 Mouscron
Tel +32 (0)56783200
[email protected]
www.gaverzicht.be