Page 27 - Landscape SA 97

MACHINERY FEATURE

How did COVID impact your Melt van Schoor, CEO of OPPASA: type where you build your own wooden
business in terms of buying and house from the trees you planted and
selling? In my opinion, it is essential for our live from the land with energy and water
industry to support the trend towards a harvesting.
• After re-opening, one dealer was self-sustainable lifestyle for the following
snowed under as clients had been doing reasons: About OPPASA
their own gardens during the lockdown. • It gives control that creates a sense of
A lot more lawnmowers, trimmers and security; OPPASA and its members are engaged
mist blowers were sold; • It promotes better health for everyone; in the sale, renovation, servicing and
• There was an increasing trend towards • It builds good relationships between repair of small equipment, for example
people buying online and the online family members and community lawn and garden tools and equipment,
presence must be done professionally networks; small farming tools and equipment, small
from the point of view of ordering • It builds personal inner strength to mining and construction tools, workshop
and delivery. Competition with online combat the onslaughts life throws at us; tools and equipment, and small forestry
traders such as Take-A-Lot and Amazon • It is good for the planet, less plastic and equipment.
is a reality; more recycling;
• Battery operated equipment was sold • It saves you money, creating economic OPPASA members provide a support
LSA
online, more so than petrol items; independence. service to all those who construct and
• With more people buying from their maintain landscapes by selling and/or
local suppliers as opposed to the larger How is this relevant to the outdoor power repairing the equipment that is used in
merchants, it is important to maintain equipment industry, you may ask? Well this these landscape activities, for example
this trend so that customers keep on industry, and especially the members of lawnmowers, blowers etc.
“coming back to our stores and buying OPPASA, could provide products, training
local”. and maintenance to self-sustainability at Photos supplied courtesy of
any scale, from small pot-like vegetable Tandem Lawn Industries
What are your thoughts on the gardens to complete off-grid living, the 031 569 9300
industry and the business environ-
ment, going forward?
• E-commerce is the way forward and
everyone is on a learning curve in this
regard. Training is needed to ensure
that dealers can promote their unique
advantages;
• There has been a change in the way
people are buying and dealers must
continue to provide excellent service
in order to be able to compete with
the likes of Builders Warehouse, for
example;
• Those customers who had disposable
income became house-bound and
house-proud;
• Dealers acquired customers they didn’t
have before the lockdown;
• When using social media, it is better to
share a personal story in the form of a
video, for example, rather than just an
advert. People like authenticity.

Landscape SA • Issue 97 2020 25