I N T E R V I E W

We can work much more efficiently,
with much bigger stocks and supply
D e br a N e t u p s ca p a cities by building a new wa reh o use

e x c l u s iv e„

Congratulations on the opening of yournew warehouse. Are you looking forward tohaving more room for expansion, or are you
just happy that the project has come to anend?
Zoltán Bődy: Thank you! Both of thesethings are true; this expansion was unavoidable and we're glad it is finally finished.

Zoltán Bődy,owner & CEO of Debra NetZoltán Bődy, owner and headof Debra Net, and his teamhave set out on a course ofgrowth and expansion. One
example of this is their newwarehouse which enables thecompany to stock moreproducts and guarantee better
delivery capabilities. But isalso helps them to prepare for
future developments in themarket, as we learn in ourinterview.

How long did the construction take?
Zoltán: Compared to our plans, theconstruction took a long time due to many
modifications, but it was worth it because theresult speaks for itself. The plannedcompletion should have been in March, but
before all is said and done, it will probably beDecember. This delay has caused some
disruption because by May, the first part ofoverseas shipments had already arrived, andthe only place to store it was the newwarehouse. Therefore, filling stock andcompleting construction have gone hand inhand since May. If you look at the pictures,
we're all fine now, but there are still things todo and the purchasing continue. In total, theconstruction took up about a year and a half.
Can you give us some info about the newwarehouse? How much space does it
provide? Which other aspects have been
important to you?
Zoltán: The area is 2500 square metres intotal, spread out across 3 floors, whichmeans room for 8000 shelf spaces, eachmeasuring 60x100x50 cm. The products are
moved up and down between the floors on aconveyor belt. The driveway network at ourcompany is growing as well, so it is mucheasier to move goods. What is also important
to us is the new highway close to thecompany which will be open to traffic sometime next year.

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Why was the construction of a newwarehouse necessary?
Zoltán: We had known for years that wewould need a third warehouse because thesecond one was already too small when it
was ready. Of course, it is great to be able toachieve significant growth every year, but it
also means you need more space to keep awide range of products in stock.
Surely, you already had ideas about the newwarehouse in advance. Could you tell us
about your plans?
Zoltán: The new warehouse is moreinnovative than those warehouses we built inthe past. Among other things, it will have a50-meter long showroom in the center,
where we can show our products. So,anyone who comes by to visit us in person
will have the possibility to get a better view ofour offer.
Will the new warehouse affect your logistics
services? Do you want to increase yourassortment?
Zoltán: Of course, this will make a huge
difference. We can work much more
efficiently, with much bigger stocks andsupply.

The new warehousew w w. e a n - o n l i n e . c o m • 1 0 / 2 0 1 8

Inside the warehouse

Now that you've created more room, you canmove ahead with your expansion strategy. What
will be the next step?
Zoltán: There are already ideas for expansion,
but the next year will be all about working out thedetails. We are having several negotiations withpotential new manufacturers and partners, andwe will expand our offer according to market
demands.
It seems that there is a trend towards exclusive
distribution right now. Or are these just isolatedcases? Does exclusive distribution make sensefrom your point of view?
Zoltán: Anyone who is working in the European
market knows that one single distributor is unable
to cover all of it, especially in the long term. I
absolutely do not believe in this type of distribution, and is you ask me, these efforts will prove beeffective.
Some wholesalers and distributors rely on
exclusive distribution to set themselves apart fromthe competition, others rely on private labels. What
does Debra do to stand out from the crowd?
Zoltán: This is a big dilemma for us as well. If wethink about it, the healthiest thing would be if
manufacturers focused on production from start tofinish, and distributors didn’t come up with new
packaging and names to sell products that are
already available everywhere. A distributor shouldtake care of its customers, just like retailer should
create a beautiful shopping environment that
attracts customers instead of running a mini
wholesale. Of course, these roles are often mixed
in today’s market, and it is hard to tell what will
work best for whom in the future.
If I were a manufacturer, I would choose 2–3
distributors with different locations in the EU whotake care of my brand, but avoid those who do notcare about my brand – or who’d just ruin it. We
have territorial exclusive agreements with many154

brands for 6–9 nearby countries which works very
well in most cases. We cannot cover all of EU, but
if there is a similar-minded distributor from
West-Europe then the biggest part of market canbe covered and maintained by 2–3 distributors.
How would you sum up the wholesale business in
2018? Has the traditional supply chain continued
to break apart?
Zoltán: Even looking back several years, there has
never been a year as crazy as 2018 in our industry.
It looks like we will close a successful 2018, inspite of being so busy because of the construction
project. The results of our hard work and investments will be seen in 2019. There are changes inthe market and surely there will be more in theupcoming years. Fortunately, we are ready for anychallenge. Changes like these are necessary todefend and add to our market leadership in Centraland East Europe.		

“ W E A R E H AV I N GS E V E R A L N E G OTI ATI O N SW I TH P OT E N TI A L N E W
M A N U FA C T U R E R S A N D

PA R TN E R S , A N D W E W I L L
E X PA N D O U R O F F E R

A C C O R D I N G TO M A R K E T
DEMANDS.”Z O LTÁ N B Ő DYw w w. e a n - o n l i n e . c o m • 1 0 / 2 0 1 8