For over 40 years, DirectBuy has established itself as the premiere franchise buying club for consumers to purchase products for their home.
In times of both economic prosperity and recession, DirectBuy has continued to grow by helping families buy the smartest and most efficient way possible, bypassing the traditional retail channel and markup, and buying direct. Everything is centered around the Club location, including design, delivery, and installation services, members can complete their home projects easily and affordably all in one place.
A robust online store is also available for members to purchase products 24/7.
Whether remodeling a kitchen or simply making everyday purchases, DirectBuy provides members with access to manufacturers’ level pricing.
This exciting and unique buying model, available only to members, creates an outstanding business opportunity for DirectBuy franchisees, as evidenced by Entrepreneur magazine consistently ranking DirectBuy among the best in its
category. DirectBuy also traditionally ranks close behind leading retailers like Home Depot and Lowes in the area of Home Improvement and was recently ranked 4th in the Top 100 Home Improvement Retailers in the area of
kitchen and bath cabinets.
DirectBuy was founded with the goal of uniting the buying power of consumers throughout North America as members of the club, thereby giving them strength that they simply didn’t have as individuals. Today, with this buying power, hundreds of thousands of members buy directly from hundreds of top manufacturers and their authorized suppliers all under one roof and avoid the hidden retail markup costs they
have to pay in retail stores or online. With new leadership at the helm, DirectBuy is now transitioning to an even more customer-centric business. The company’s changing values and evolving vision is being led by new Chief Executive Officer Mike Bornhorst, who comes to DirectBuy with an extensive background in customer service oriented business. Mr. Bornhorst had previously held leadership positions with leading consumer companies such as ADT and Culligan.
“While DirectBuy has been around for more than 4 decades, it is a time of significant change for the company,” said Bornhorst. “There are many exciting changes underway that will reshape the way consumers interact with and benefit from DirectBuy.”
To carry out the new vision, DirectBuy recruited five new members of the senior management team. The result is
a leadership team focused on providing service, selection, and value that will improve members’ lifestyles under a renewed mission based on the shared beliefs of honesty and integrity.
“I feel strongly about focusing on members when designing services and enhancing benefits by constantly asking, ‘What do our members want?’ That’s the essence of the new DirectBuy,” said Bornhorst about the company’s new customer-centric approach.
Delivering on the company’s strong value proposition are dedicated franchisees who along with a team of corporate
Member Advocates help members achieve significant savings across a wide variety of products and merchandise for their home and lifestyle.
Not even store sales’ prices, warehouse clubs, or Internet e-tailers can typically deliver the type of savings that
DirectBuy offers its members. “At our core, we are a franchise organization made up of passionate owners and operators who are dedicated to inspiring our members,” said Bornhorst. “And we’re all diving over our desks on a daily basis to help them.”
So how does DirectBuy expect franchisees to make money without profiting from merchandise sales? Simple. DirectBuy has one key component that drives everything, and that is its members; they make everything DirectBuy does possible and are at the heart of the company’s brand promise.
The company offsets its costs and derives revenue through a membership dues structure that delivers an extraordinary return on its members’ investments. As the company is evolving so is its stance on transparency with the hundreds of brands that provide DirectBuy’s selection of more than one million products. In the past, DirectBuy’s vendors expected a certain amount of confidentiality regarding the prices they offer and DirectBuy
lived up to those expectations. As times have changed and consumers are more empowered with information to make smarter buying decisions, so has the way DirectBuy conducts business.
Along with more transparency in communicating DirectBuy’s products and selection, the company has been able to work get even better values, pricing and programs for members.
Making membership even more appealing is the company’s latest offering – DirectBuy Travel – which extends savings to members on cruises, luxury resorts, hotel and city stays, and much more.
“Resort stays, high-end hotels, last-minute travel deals. We’ve even had members say they’re overwhelmed at how many things we have to offer,” said Mike Bornhorst about the extensive scope of DirectBuy’sTravel Program offerings. “They couldn’t decide which trip to take.” Improving customer service and customer engagement has also been a primary focus to ensure that members are fully benefitting from membership in enhancing their homes and lifestyle.
Local franchisees and their members are now supported by a Member Care Advocacy Team designed to help members with all their questions, concerns, and merchandise selection, extending outside of normal
operating hours.
That’s just one of the many ways franchisees receive ongoing support. Along with DirectBuy’s quality training
programs and ongoing marketing and sales support, franchisees have an opportunity for significant financial reward, and a business where developing new skills and business acumen is standard operating procedure. Even the company’s new tagline – “Together, we can do amazing things.” – is a nod to the potential that franchisees and DirectBuy’s corporate team have for future success. “With so many changes underway— from the launch of DirectBuy Travel to our commitment to customer service excellence—we want to share the DirectBuy story and value proposition far and wide,” Bornhorst continued. “The future is bright here, thanks to a changing culture that is 100% focused on customers and we believe our best days are ahead of us.”
This is a great time to take a look at becoming a DirectBuy franchisee. Many desirable markets are available – both in new and existing areas throughout the United States and Canada. Interested parties are encouraged to invest some time exploring DirectBuy’s franchising website.