Digital Online Retail Products Launches its First Product in the European Markets

Digital Online Retail Products (DORP) is a South African e-commerce platform. DORP has launched its first ever product, VELDSKOEN to the European and UK markets. The launch came at the back of Long4Life, a local leisure and Lifestyle Company bought 49% shares in DORP. VELDSKOEN is the first product of the small e-commerce firm based in Cape Town.  The product is a re-imagined version of the classic South African brown shoes. In mid-April this year the company announced that the product would be the first venture capital investment of the Long4Life. This was to be initiated from its R100 million venture capital investment.

Long4Life majors in renowned South African brands like Sorbet, Outdoor Warehouse, and Sportsmans Warehouse among others. DORP officially launched VELDSKOEN in the two markets on 26th May 2018. Nick Dreyer, the co-founder, and CEO of DORP said that the company was excited to take the South African brands to the international audience. According to him, the product has recorded significant success in the short time it has been trading in the UK market. He added that they were happy to introduce the product to the rest of the globe. The company is now keeping a close tab on the Australian, African and US markets.

Dreyer said that the company is looking forward to venturing into Africa with Kenya and Botswana being their first destination. He added that they do not like to exclude South African market from the African market. This is because they view the two markets as one and of the same type. He assured people that the company would be launching in the two countries within the next three months. According to Dreyer, the company has chosen on the two countries because they are recording maturity scale in their e-commerce. But he said that the company has a mission of expanding more into the rest of Africa as the size of the continent comes with enormous opportunities. Dryer agreed with the fact that the online retail industry is highly competitive. It also records a continuous growth both locally and internationally. But he showed his confidence in the DORP’s quality of its offering, and it is going to the market strategy.

According to him the retail market in Europe and UK is already highly competitive making it challenging to launch a retail product. However, the company believes in its brand quality which will make them competitive. He added that the company is not looking forward to competing directly.  The company is run and managed by a team of ten people and uses in-house solutions and third-party sites. Despite having manufacturing and distribution challenges in retail markets, DORP is committed to producing products in the country.