I N T E R V I E W

We can finally startworking on our actual goals
D e br a N e t ha s la id th e tra cks f o r a successf ul f uture
Back in October 2018,
EAN reported thatDebra Net had added
a new warehouse slash
office building andshowroom to theircapacities, the goal
being to enter a path ofgrowth and expansion.
Obviously, it takes time
to implement suchfar-reaching changes
and adapt to the newworkflow. But as welearn from Debra Net
owner Zoltán Bődy in thisinterview, the process is
now complete, and Debra
Net is ready to focus on its
main tasks once again.

102A while back, we reported on thecommissioning of your new warehouse.
Have you settled in? Is everything
going well?

This new building also includes a bigshowroom. Are you satisfied with theroom, and how have your customers
responded to it?

Zoltan Body: We also had to redesign
the entire logistics process in the newwarehouse. Fortunately, we were able
to improve and optimise the newwork environment significantly, so wecan operate much more efficiently
than before. The new system works
very well, surpassing all ourexpectations.

Zoltan: We always wanted a nice bigshowroom. While most of the purchases
are made online, it is much easier to workthings out when customers visit us in person. In our experience, besides the visualimpression, it is very important that theproducts are physically accessible to ourcustomers. This definitely has a positiveeffect on the size of their orders.

Debra Net‘s founderand President:
Erika Melega Bodyne
w w w . e l i n e - m a g a z i n eand. d eZoltán• 0 Bődy3/2020

Debra Net value personal contact withthe customers – here, in the new showroom

Are you now well prepared for the future interms of your capacities? Or are you afraid thatsooner or later you will reach your limits again?

Have you been able to create new jobs by
increasing your capacities and expanding yourbusiness?

Zoltan: That‘s a good question. I have been
thinking about it a lot, but considering thepace at which the turnover grows, it could
soon be a problem again. I think the easiest
way to solve this problem is by keeping thecommissioning warehouse in its current stateand building. As a result, we can handle theever-increasing volume of incoming goods
easier and faster.

Zoltan: Of course, there are more storekeepers and salespeople in our company
now. However, in 2019, the rate of increasein turnover was significantly higher than thegrowth rate of staff members.

“ W E HAV E BE E N USING THIS STRATE GY

Has this expansion and creation of new
capacities in 2019 already had a positiveeffect on your business results?

FOR OV E R 20 Y E ARS AND IT IS W ORKING
BE TTE R AND BE TTE R.”

Zoltan: During the construction of the newwarehouse, we already ordered extra
containers, so by the time we finished, the firstshipments - including several novelties – hadalready arrived. Consequently, we were able
to start 2019 at almost full capacity. Although
we achieved very good results in 2019, therenovation of the entire office building took a
lot of energy last year. Only in June were we ina position to relocate to the new offices, so wewere couldn’t fully take advantage of the newwarehouse. Therefore, 2020 will be the firstyear we can 100% focus on our main job.
103

Z O LTA N B O DY

What are the main pillars of your businessstrategy, for which you have already received
several awards, also from EAN?
Zoltan: We have talked about this several
times. We are in a special situation here inA presentation of various brands in the new showroom

Central – Eastern Europe. This is probably
due to the fact that we have an exclusive
deal with most brands in this region. We havebeen using this strategy for over 20 years andit is working better and better. Furthermore,
the volume of dropship orders is growing
significantly, accounting for an increasing
percentage of our turnover. It is also a factthat the average B2C cart value in this regionis significantly lower than in Western Europe.
If we take the time factor into account, ourB2B partners benefit from a huge advantage
by making use of our fast, on-site service. In
most cases, this service will allow customers
to receive orders within 24 hours. Moreover,
it is very important to have sufficient stocklevels, good sales personnel, and all the smallthings that make the world go round.

The new warehouse has increased
your capacities in the area of logistics.
How has this affected your productrange? Have you added new brands?
Do your customers benefit from improved
product availability?
104

Zoltan: Many new brands are coming andcoming, for example: Obsessive, Evolved,Liebe, and Elity, however the real change is“ W E ARE NOW RE ADY TO SPE ND MU CH
MORE TIME AND ATTE NTION ON OUR
C USTOME RS, OUR RANGE , AND OUR
STRATE GY.”Z O LTA N B O DYthat we are also able to keep ample stock of
our existing selection to provide our partners
with sufficient and adequate supplies.
w w w. e a n - o n l i n e . c o m • 0 3 / 2 0 2 0

I N T E R V I E W

The new Debra Net building

Our market is always determined by external
factors. Currently, the Corona virus is going
through the news. Are you worried that theinternational trade will suffer as a result?
Or that production in China will come toa standstill?

dispatched from China before the outbreak,so we have plenty of reserves in the event ofany production or shipping disruptions.

Zoltan: It is a fact that the Corona virus has
already caused enormous damage, mainly
in China, and its effect is worldwide. It is not
yet possible to predict the exact outcome ofthis in early February. We hope to know morewhen this article is published. In any case,
we are lucky that many of our goods were

Zoltan: We can finally start working on ouractual goals. Continuous development overthe past 5 years took a lot of our energy.
We are now ready to spend much more timeand attention on our customers, our range,and our strategy.

In June of 2019, the team moved into the new offices

What are Debra‘s plans and goals for 2020?

What challenges do you expect foryour company this year? Will your corebusiness - distribution - change (further)?
Zoltan: The year 2020 will definitely be about
exploring further opportunities and deciding
whether we proceed with our current plans
or implement changes and explore new
directions should that become necessary.

106

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