5 minute read
Spiro's Mega Mica celebrates 100 years
DIY and Industrial Trade News recently spoke to Spiro’s Mega Mica to find out the secret to its success. As with most stories it is important to go back to the very beginning to understand the resilience behind this achievement.
Harry Spiro opened a general dealership in May 1922. His sons, Norman, Monty and Theo grew up in the house next to the store, and when Harry died at the age of 49, the boys were still very young, and their mother Jessie took the business over until Monty joined the family business in 1947.
Theo Spiro joined the store when he was 18 years old having worked at another family business from the age of 17 (a garage and car dealership in Bellville). With the untimely death of Monty Spiro in 1962, Theo took over the running of the store and when one of their major suppliers, William Spilhaus, was sold to Sanlam, Theo had the foresight to change the general dealership into one of the first DIY selfservice stores focusing on household needs.
In 1983, Theo’s son, Kevin, joined him in the business and it was in the same year that Spiro’s joined the Mica family as one of its founding members and remain loyal members to this day, some 39 years later.
In 2006 Spiro’s underwent a major rebuild and the Spiro’s that current consumers know, and love was opened. Since then, Spiro’s Corner has undergone changes to stay relevant to the ever-changing environment. The most recent change has been the Solar Parking Project, which provides under cover parking to customers, while at the same time harnessing the power of the sun to provide energy to the centre.
Unfortunately, the family continued to be beset by tragedy and Kevin died of a brain tumour three years later at the age of 46. This is when Steven Sollinger, Theo’s son-in-law, took over the business and is still at the helm over a decade later. In 2019, Kevin’s son, Jess, joined the business fulltime, so a fourthgeneration family member is now involved.
It was late in 2019 when Spiro’s Mica Paint and Hardware rebranded to Spiro’s Mega Mica, offering a wider choice to the local community.
When asked what the continued success of Spiro’s could be attributed to, Sollinger said it was its ability to adapt to changing times and to stay relevant in this fast-moving world.
The centenary will be celebrated throughout 2022 acknowledging staff, suppliers and customers with various planned promotional activities. Spiro’s Mega Mica, concludes Sollinger, must be remembered as the shop that cared – serving and supporting generation after generation of Durbanville residents and successfully keeping the ‘village’ spirit alive.
Sollinger recognised the importance of being able to surprise customers in several ways:
• Having knowledgeable, energetic and engaging staff on the floor, willing and able to assist
• Becoming the ultimate refuge for the DIY’er and handyman by converting to a one stop destination store for not only DIY materials and related products, but by increasing the product offering to gifts, toys, kitchenware, arts and crafts, key cutting and remote coding, glass cutting and sizing, gas refills and canisters, and everything else the homeowner desires
• Recognising the importance of having a wide range of iconic brands and quality products when it comes to tools and hardware – quality and affordability being a key driver in the business
• Offering free delivery within a 5km radius
• Ensuring minimal out of stock situations by investing heavily in IT systems
• Staying current on social media platforms
• Offering a lucrative loyalty programme with the Mica Dream Card
• Staying abreast of local and national needs, as and when they occur, such as the power outages and the water crisis
• Having the courage to invest in two additional Mica stores over the past 10 years – Kendal Mica in Constantia and Dick and Allsop Mica in Wellington. Not only does this allow them to broaden their reach but allows all the stores to benefit from the synergies of each other’s businesses and those of the entire Mica Group
• Offering workshops and fortnightly art classes
• Creating a ‘theatre’ of retail – taking the grudge out of hardware buying and exciting customers
• Constantly exposing suppliers to their customers and their customers to the wonderful products and techniques offered by suppliers
• Staying ahead of the pack, being small and nimble, Spiro’s can change direction as and when needed including through the trying Covid reality. Continuing to be customer-centric and focus on core competencies whilst continually looking for new offerings for their customers
• Recognising the importance of community and being dedicated to community initiatives. Their current main project is an alignment with the LIV Fisantekraal project – building a pre-school to service around 120 children in their local community.
Eye-catching Mega Mica branding.
