Launched May 2012, Kenya’s Zenelo.com is an online furniture shop allowing users to visit the site, choose their preferred furniture, place an order and have it delivered right to their doorsteps.
Larry Okumu, the co-founder Zenelo say theirs is locally made furniture and of high quality.
“Just because our products are local does not mean they must look cheap. We have sourced best Kenyan talent to produce quality pieces at unbeatable prices,” Okumu said. “Because we keep our costs low, we are able to pass on the benefits to you. For us, this means no warehouses, no fancy showrooms and no middlemen. By cutting out all the fuss, we ensure that we deliver beautifully made pieces at a price that suits you.”
According to Okumu, Zenelo.com was launched in stealth mode May of 2012 and began marketing it to friends and corporates.
To him Zenelo.com will help solve the frustration people in Kenya face when buying furniture.
“You have to hassle all day moving from showroom to showroom looking for the best product or engage the local fundis and we all know what a pain it can be chasing after them. This is even harder for expatriates,” he said.
To end such frustration Okumu has brought together talent in the country who can design great pieces of furniture to sell on the platform. The platform will also help just anyone sell their furniture online to save the hurdle that is hunting down fundis or buyers.
“This is where we come in. We save you the hassle and allow you to get your furniture at the click of mouse. We scour the country looking for talented local carpenters, we work with them through the designs, we perform rigorous quality control and ensure that the piece meets the specification and has excellent finishing. Additionally, we organize for the delivery and only ask that you be there to check and receive your goodies,” he said.
Zenelo.com say they stock unique, minimalistic and contemporary furniture designs and are targeting young, discerning and taste conscious professionals, corporate firms and learning institutions to help them artfully furnish their homes and offices without having to fork out an arm and a leg for it.
Okumu also adds that they emphasize on promoting local businesses and therefore work with local but talented carpenters who have the skills to design great furniture and want to save the time of looking for clients.
Zenelo accepts M-Pesa and cash on delivery.