Organising made easy
Howards Storage World is an innovative speciality retailer of storage and organisational products for the home and office, with a focus on range, quality and service. Howards Storage World is a unique concept that provides innovative, essential household items where customers find storage and organisation solutions for all of their needs. Howards caters for all members of the family and covers all rooms in the house.
The heart of Howards appeal is the promise of reducing clutter in customer's everyday lives. The need to find 'a place for everything' drives the Howards concept, offering a vast range of storage solutions for tidying up, sorting out and getting organised.
What sets Howards apart is a unique mix of over 3,500 products combined with a strong service offer, making Howards the specialist in this category. With strong franchise growth, Howards has been recognised by BRW as one of the top 10 fastest growing franchises in Australia. Howards Storage World has also been recognised in the Excellence in Franchise Awards as the Winner - Export Franchise of the Year 2007 and Finalist - Franchise of the Year 2007.
Products
The group buying team sources products that are both internationally renowned brands and also manufactures an exclusive range of Howards Storage World branded products for its stores. Global buying power allows Howards to offer the very best solutions and deliver them in store to the highest quality at the best price possible.
Marketing
The franchise group is supported by an integrated marketing and promotional plan to ensure that the group achieves the vision to be every potential customer's first choice in solving their storage and organisation needs. Combined with the stores own local area marketing initiatives, the marketing and in-store promotional materials capitalize on driving store traffic and growing the brand. A key feature of the Howards strategy is a consumer catalogue that has an Australian print run in excess of 2 million copies per year. The catalogue allows consumers to visually see how Howard's products can transform their homes & offices, quickly and simply into better organised spaces.
Structure
From the outset Howards ensured that the franchising model they adopted was robust and supportive. The operational structures necessary to support a growing group were established with dedicated buying, marketing, sales, merchandising and technical support. All Howards Storage World franchisees operate as independent businesses, yet are to the public one highly coordinated group. Howards Storage World prides itself on the strong head office support it provides to its franchisees, which starts with comprehensive and ongoing training, conferences, and regular group meetings. In addition to this, the company provides field support, merchandising and product knowledge advice which is also available online via an intranet service.
History
An Australian concept, Howards Storage World started as a single shop called 'Stack and Store' in Northbridge, a northern Sydney suburb, in the early 1970's.
In 1997, a partnership was formed with Dirk Spence after establishing the Australia wide market potential to roll out this niche concept through franchising. From there, the group rapidly evolved with the first franchise store opening in 1998.
By 2001, Alex Dobrin became a partner in the company after successfully operating the eigth franchised store at Warringah Mall, adding to the group his depth of hands on retail knowledge.
Growth
Howards Storage World has experienced significant growth over the past few years proving its storage solutions appeal to cultures around the globe. In Australia stores have grown to 63 retail outlets in shopping centre, home-maker centres and free standing retail environments. Internationally, Howards Storage World has expanded into Singapore, New Zealand, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Ireland. Additional master franchises will commence operation in late 2009 in Belgium and Scotland with several other countries under discussion.
The growth of Howards Storage World reflects our understanding of the growing consumer shift to specialty retailing for service and quality and the brand's diversity in product range to help organise all rooms of the home.
