Outdoor contender aims high

10 September 2009

New outdoor furniture player The Balcony Shop has honed in on the niche market of high rise urban living to offer a point of difference.

The Balcony ShopCompany founder Graham Hancock, formerly in the trucking business, said his previous job had given him an unusual perspective on gaps in the furniture market.

"I got pretty fed up with trucking, but as I was driving around, getting caught up in traffic and so on, I'd look up and see all these high rise developments with balconies, and I realised there was an opportunity there."

The Balcony Shop's offer comprised around 200 pieces, made offshore to high standards, he said, with a table and chair set priced around $2000 to $3000 at retail.

The Balcony Shop"I thought I should focus on the high end of the market. I can't compete with the high street retailers on price but I can offer a good quality product. People living in high rise developments don't have to spend quite so much on lawns and gardens, so they're prepared to invest in beautiful balcony furniture."

A first time exhibitor at Furnitex in Melbourne, Hancock said The Balcony Shop range received strong interest from retailers as well as developers and architects. With plans to exhibit at the Australian International Furniture Fair in Sydney in February 2010, he aimed to expand the company's reach into the NSW market.

Currently a wholesale only business, The Balcony Shop would open an online retail store in the next two to three years, Hancock said.

Have your say