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Headoffice: Stand 61, Old Pretoria Road | Halfway House, 1685
011 265 9000 (V) | 011 315 1068 (F) |
fablib@fabriclibrary.co.za
January 27, 2009
Many of us have been approaching 2009 with some trepidation, and rightfully so.
Television coverage, newspaper coverage and most dinner conversations turn towards the state of the world economy and the recessionary climate that besieges most of the major economies.
What can we expect on the southern tip of Africa? Are we too going to be affected by the global meltdown?
There are significant indications which already signal a reversal in economic fortunes for certain sectors in our market. Car sales have plunged, house prices have declined and house sales have retreated from levels last experienced in 2006.
We at The Fabric Library look forward to a vibrant year. The market is presently debating whether or not the Reserve Bank will further drop interest rates. Whatever the decision, it is clear we are definitely in a cycle where we can expect a reduction in interest rates during the course of this year. This will translate into more discretionary cash being available to spend. Retailers are reporting that, despite the credit crunch, sales through December held up and indeed exceeded some expectations, a good indicator that the South African consumer has capacity to spend.
We also have a few major events on the horizon to look forward to:
I believe there is much to be optimistic about over the next 1 to 2 years, whereafter, our expectations should be aligned with further growth in tourism following 2010.
I am delighted to make the following announcements:
Neill Strydom has been appointed as the Sales Director with effect from January 27, 2009, and I trust you will join me in welcoming Neill, and indeed congratulating him on his appointment.
Neill has a strong customer focus and I am confident he will ensure that our customers receive world-class support from his team.
We welcome Michelle Wessels, who has been appointed as the Branch Manager for the Cape Town operation. Michelle brings with her solid management experience, a positive customer service orientation and a love for fabric.
I am very pleased that Karen Cheney has accepted the opportunity of providing leadership to our KZN Branch as Branch Manager. She is not only passionate about The Fabric Library, but also has an abiding commitment to customer satisfaction.
Having had a very successful launch of “Jewel in the Crown” in September 2008 at our Showrooms around the country, we are planning our next launch in March 2009 with Fabricut, a very well priced Special Import fabric house with a vast selection of beautiful fabrics. We will also be hosting representatives from Romo and Osborne & Little in February, as well as holding monthly customer preview days in our Showrooms on various topics of interest.
Our most recent collection “New Metallica” and “Check Mates” have been extremely well received, and we are very excited to launch “Boheme”, a colourful, vibrant curtaining collection.
Over the next couple of months the following stunning collections will be launched:
“The Grove”
An upholstery range with broad appeal from a price and design point of view
“Curtain Call”
A glamorous curtaining collection with soft colour palette and sophisticated look
“Sketch Book”
A beautiful woven upholstery range with themes of an artist sketch book
“Piazza”
A stunning check and stripe collection in a range of very beautiful basic colours.
“Monsoon”
Beautiful textured plains.
“First Light”
A new sheer collection with a large variety of exquisite designs and soft colours.
Our much anticipated “Out of Africa” collections of elegant and luxurious designs.
Also, look out for some beautiful floral inspired collections.
We at The Fabric Library are optimistic that, despite the tough business landscape, we are poised to enjoy a year of growth and prosperity.
We wish you a year of opportunity and success.
Yours sincerely
