Romatex is a leading manufacturer and supplier of stitch-bonded non-woven material and other textiles in South Africa. Our products include linens, duvets and mattress protectors for the retail and hospitality sectors. Our homeware and textiles are sought after by bed and breakfasts (BnBs), boutique hotels, lodges and guest houses, as well as retail stores nationwide.
Besides our physical outlets in Cape Town, Romatex also sells products through an online store, called Room Service. This e-commerce platform is the perfect retail space for customers and procurement managers looking for various textiles and homeware products. We offer free shipping on orders over R950 and delivery within five days. The marketing manager at Room Service, Belinda Franklin, shares some insights into her responsibilities at the company.
Insights from the Room Service marketing manager
Franklin is responsible for every aspect of Room Service online; from sourcing and designing to pricing and order processing. She photographs new stock and does the copywriting on the online portal, in addition to customer care and communications, so her role is an all-encompassing one. “I am also responsible for ensuring that our brick-and-mortar store is in line with the look and feel of our online store,” she explains.
“I absolutely love the process of sourcing new products; we had the privilege of finding new items overseas that we hand-selected amongst a sea of products. It was both hard work and inspiring,” says Franklin. “Unfortunately, Covid put an end to the travels but hopefully one day we can get out there again. For now, we use a more restricted approach in finding select items to add to our manufactured ranges,” she adds.
Franklin enjoys many aspects of her role at Room Service, but customer care is of particular interest to her. “I believe that a customer must have a great experience shopping with us, whether it’s the unpacking of the items bought or the experience of using our products – the whole experience should result in them coming back again and again. We put a lot of effort into how we present our products and really do hope our customers feel like they are opening a present when they receive their order,” she states.
The future of Room Service is looking good
As the marketing manager, Franklin has brought positive changes to the business. “The development of the website was a massive learning curve for me as I had not done anything like it before. I have been at Romatex, all in all, for 17 years with a break at retail in between. I have been an account manager, national sales manager and commercial manager and believe all that experience has really helped me in being able to create something like Room Service,” she says.
“It has challenged me on all fronts and I am very proud of what we have achieved and are able to offer our customers. I believe we are now in a good space to grow Room Service into a very successful division of Romatex. We are in a very unique position where we are able to offer what we manufacture straight to the end customer, be it a homeowner or a boutique hotel – affording them a quality-backed product at very affordable prices,” Franklin explains.
In terms of future goals, the growth and expansion of the online platform are major areas of focus for Franklin. “The long-term goal is to grow Room Service into a strong division within Romatex, with a customer base that spans homes, BnBs and boutique hotels. Ideally, we would love to be able to have a brick-and-mortar store or showroom in Durban and Johannesburg so customers are able to come and touch and feel the product before purchasing,” she states.
“In the short term, we are working hard at getting the Room Service name seen and making people aware of what we offer. We want them to know that we can offer simple sophistication at affordable prices, backed by the manufacturing expertise of Romatex, which has been in the industry for more than 50 years,” Franklin says.
More products are also on the cards as the e-commerce platform expands its reach and audience. “As our customer base grows, it affords us the opportunity to be able to offer carefully considered bedding ranges in both design and colour, which is very exciting,” concludes Franklin.
The physical Room Service shop was first opened by Romatex at its factory site in Cape Town, but the online platform has fast become a popular channel for sales. Customers can visit this shop in person or browse our products online, as well as a range of other homeware items. For more information about our various products and textiles, please contact us today.
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Romatex is a leading manufacturer and supplier of stitchbond and other textiles for the retail and hospitality sectors. Romatex is a Level 2 B-BBEE company that is owned by Deneb Investments Limited, a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
Our head office is based in Cape Town but we have branches in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Free State. For more information about our products, please contact info@romatex.co.za. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for our latest news and industry insights.
