The man who built South Africa’s crazy discount store chain
Since taking over the reins as managing director at The Crazy Store, Kevin Lennett has transformed the business into one of South Africa’s biggest and most beloved discount retailers.
Today, The Crazy Store is a common feature in nearly every major mall and shopping centre in South Africa. Interestingly, though, the company’s success was built by a man who vowed he would never work in retail.
After attending Bishops College, Kevin Lennett studied social sciences at the University of Cape Town, where he also earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.
After that, he joined the army and, upon returning, worked casual jobs at various retail outlets. His first job was as a casual at a sports store called Varsity Sports.
At this point, Lennett vowed he would never go into retail, he explained on The Money Show with Stephen Groottes.
“But back then, job adverts were in newspapers, very generic – ‘general manager wanted’, that sort of thing – they never named the company. You applied because you needed work. That ad turned out to be Sportsman’s Warehouse,” he said.
When Lennett started at Sportsmans Warehouse in 1991, it was a 1.5-store chain. The owner of Totalsports later acquired the company, giving Lennett the opportunity to expand the business.
“I didn’t have a really clear idea of how to do that – and I think that’s often the best thing. People get opportunities; it’s about taking them and running with them and making loads of mistakes along the way,” he said.
They were opening 2,000-square-metre stores, a size that didn’t really exist back then. “We were learning as we went along.”
Lennett spent nearly 20 years at Sportsmans Warehouse before going on to join The Crazy Store in 2012.
The Crazy Store
Even though Lennett had gained much retail experience, he soon found that The Crazy Store differed significantly from Sportmans Warehouse.
He explained on The Money Show that one is a higher-end sports brand-oriented store, and the other is a low-priced, multiple-store business with smaller stores of around 250 square metres.
“We decided to make the brand a credible brand, to speed up and chase the growth phase of the business, and to make it into more of a retail outlet than it had previously been,” he said.
When he joined the business, he had five goals that he wanted to achieve:
- Enhance The Crazy Store’s credibility
- Make The Crazy Store a smart place to shop and attract new customers
- Show the broad range of products they stock
- Make The Crazy Store a trustworthy brand
- Eliminate negative perceptions
“To my mind, we have achieved all those objectives and have truly become a trustworthy national brand, well-loved and supported by our customers,” he said.
Many people know The Crazy Store for the iconic duck featured in its logo, and the rubber ducks are available in stores.
In the early days of Lennett joining the business, they looked at how they could strengthen their brand identity. One idea was to introduce a mascot, he told the Minki Show.
“The duck is one of the oldest toys in the world, if not the oldest toy in the world. It’s gender neutral, it’s colour-neutral, it’s everything-neutral. It’s just a friendly, vibey, quirky product that fits our brand really well.”
Like many other businesses, The Crazy Store was faced with difficult times when the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa.
“Naturally, being closed for a month was a devastating blow to us all in the retail industry. Simply put, all touchpoints are affected – from landlords to suppliers, to customers to staff.”
“It has been traumatic, to say the least. It was, however, our responsibility to immediately begin planning for the future and a return to trade – no matter in what form or fashion.”
Fortunately, Lennett said that The Crazy Store team was fantastic and pulled together to ensure the business’s long-term survival.
In the years since, the business has continued to expand. Since its humble beginnings in 1997, the brand has evolved into one of the country’s largest discount variety retailers, with stores in Namibia, Botswana, and Eswatini.
The Crazy Store is well known for its expansive product selection, which ranges from party decorations and toys to camping and art supplies.
In March, the business hit a major milestone, opening its 500th store, and it is already sitting at 514 stores. Now, with 13 years of experience in the business, Lennett says he still isn’t bored.
“If you get bored, leave. If the work becomes of a similar ilk and it becomes routine, then you know you’ve got to change because you’re not going to make a difference to that organisation.”
Lennett explained that CEOs, senior directors, and upper managers are often sent into a company on a short-term basis.
However, that can sometimes do the business more harm than good. “I believe that being in the long haul is better for the longevity of that business than to leave.”
Inside The Crazy Store
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