03 December 2021

SA renovating and upgrading en masse as sector thrives despite current challenges—SA Décor & Design

Submitted by: Annemarie Roodbol
SA renovating and upgrading en masse as sector thrives despite current challenges—SA Décor & Design

 Comprehensive décor hub mirrors sector’s move to digital space

Time to upgrade your living-room or office space? There is a good chance that your favourite décor contractor or coveted interior designer is more than a little busy right now as many South Africans are doing improvements at this time.

This trend is also apparent on the digital platform of SA Décor & Design—a veteran in the industry but always a leader when it comes to the latest digital trends—and where more than 60 000 visitors a month are able to search and find the leading suppliers, products, professionals, projects and catalogues, as well as expertise on the latest trends and finds in design, technology and services. The sectors featured range from home improvement, furniture, décor, and home technology, to outdoor, bathrooms, kitchens and decorative coatings.  

“The SA Décor & Design online platform has taken off in a big way, which also reflects how busy the industry is right now,” says Marcia Margolius, well-known designer and decorator and author of the exclusive blog, “Marcia loves it”, on the website. 

Home office improvements
“Our clients are also verifying this trend,” Marcia explains. “The pandemic has meant that people have been spending more time at home and many are working from home and therefore spending money on everything related to making their homes more comfortable and creating work from home environments. Furthermore, people are not travelling as much so they seem to be moving that spend into their homes.”

According to this industry icon, the home office sector has therefore also shown remarkable growth in the last 20 months with a sharp increase in sales of new desks, chairs, rugs, computers and the affiliated industries, such as data, fibre and computer technology, for a comfortable office at home and for people to appear professional in digital meetings. “So many people are still working from home so it will be interesting to see when people start moving back to the office environment,” remarks Marcia.

Like many other industries, the décor, design and interior sector has had to adapt to doing business during lockdown restrictions, says the “Marcia loves it” blogger. “The online retailers and those that have transitioned to the digital space seem to have taken large chunks of market share away from those that have not made the move. Bricks and mortar retailers who are relying on visitors to their stores have really struggled. Many wholesalers have had to open up online stores and digital platforms to make up for traditional channels.”

Industry has been resilient
Marcia observes: “It has been interesting to see how resilient the industry is. But the truth is that those that were doing well before the pandemic seem to be doing better, and those that were struggling are still struggling, unless they have been able to transition strongly into the changed environment.”

"The eventing industry has been badly affected and many are looking at new digital eventing and online platforms to make up for this. It is only recently that we have started attending personal meetings, attending product launches and events, but every time a new wave of the pandemic arrives we question when things will go back to the way it was.”  

New online portal
The SA Décor and Design platform already features more than 1200 suppliers, including 260+ in the furniture category, 500 inspirational residential projects, the latest catalogues and thousands of products are listed with direct links to purchase from the suppliers. The “Marcia loves it” blog also features thousands of inspiring interviews, new releases and success stories.

“We are undoubtedly the most comprehensive portal in the industry right now,” states Marcia. “Being an open platform (no registration or fees) is what makes this a winning concept. We have both the trade and end user market sourcing from our platform as were the only hub that offers them a huge selection of suppliers, products and content, all in one fast, user-friendly digital home. ”

About SA Décor and Design
During the last 24 years, SA Décor and Design has become a household name with its annual, printed sourcing book, SA Décor and Design – The Buyers Guide, which has been used and loved by professional and aspirant designers, decorators and homeowners alike. The publishers have since developed a content-rich digital platform, featuring suppliers, products, projects, catalogues, videos, exclusive expert blog and active social media campaigns created for the décor industry in South Africa.

The design hub currently receives over 60 000 visitors paging through 255 000 pages on average per month—always a leader in the industry and an adopter of the latest digital trends.

For more information about listing on SA Décor and Design, contact:
Publisher & CEO: Ian Hurwitz
Tel: 021 418 7768
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.sadecor.co.za/

Social media presence:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadecor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sa_decor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcialovesit/
YouTube: SA Décor and Design
Pinterest: https://za.pinterest.com/Marcialovesit/