What started eighty years ago with grandfather who went door-to-door with a horse and cart selling household goods in Almelo, has now grown into a beautiful and distinctive family business specialising in unique garden furniture. Henk Smit, the third generation, is today at the helm of the garden furniture giant and opened the third branch in Venlo (near the A73 motorway) on Monday 19 December last. At this Experience Store XXL one can choose from over 8,000 m2 of garden furniture.
Garden furniture in all shapes and sizes and in different price ranges, that's what you'll find at Kees Smit Garden Furniture's Venlo Experience Store XXL. Besides Almelo and Amersfoort, the retailer has chosen Venlo as the location for its third store. This choice did not come out of the blue, explains general manager Henk Smit: "We saw a lot of potential to become more accessible for (potential) customers from the south. With experience that our customers easily drive an hour for a visit, with this branch added, we become accessible to most of the Netherlands. In addition, we are more attractive to our neighbouring countries; Germany and Belgium; Venlo is a top location for our organisation partly thanks to its fast accessibility via the A73."
Physical retail
After a major renovation, the building, which formerly housed garden centre atSTOX, has been extended with an extra (third) floor, among other things. According to Henk Smit the size of the Experience Store XXL (over 8,000 sq m) is unique in Europe. "There are companies that sell garden furniture, but not in premises with such a large total area as ours. We At Kees Smit Garden Furniture, we still believe in physical retail, but with today's consumer needs in mind. Therefore, everything we sell online can also be found in our physical store. After all, consumers like to 'experience' such products when they buy them. That we make possible here, partly through our extensive inspiration zones. We present our latest garden trends here. To In detail, these are highlighted. A real experience." A special feature is that Kees Smit Garden Furniture stocks every product in Almelo, where its distribution centre is located. "You do not have to wait for weeks or months with us, but within a few days your new purchase will be at your doorstep and you can enjoy it immediately."
Company culture
With the arrival of the new Venlo branch, some 50 new workstations are available for the first season. Smit: "From February, our Venlo branch will be open seven days a week. That requires a nice team in terms of size." Meanwhile, more than 30 new employees (both full-time and part-time) have already started, having been inducted into the Almelo and Amersfoort branches. "So they have been able to absorb our corporate culture well," Smit says. "Customer-friendliness is our most important feature in this respect." Smit is proud of the Venlo team. "It are nice employees who enthuse our customers in a friendly way, without insisting. We As a result, we hope that visitors in our Experience Store XXL experience an optimal customer experience.
Our message is therefore that shopping can be a celebration." The company, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, contributes to this with a tradition of treating all visitors to a cup of coffee and Twente krentenwegge. This tradition is also being passed on towards Venlo, to the enthusiasm of the new store manager, Venlon native Maurice Peters. "It our goal is to give customers the best possible shopping experience and thus make them our ambassadors. We hope they will share our fantastic garden furniture experience with others and that we will thus attract even more new visitors to our Experience Store XXL through word of mouth."
Terrace supplier for the business market
Besides the private market, Kees Smit also operates in the business market. A terrace for a catering establishment or furnishings for a care location? At the Experience Stores XXL, a wide range is on display. On-site advice is also possible. The advisers will be happy to provide you with expert advice.
