Eureka was founded by Hendrik Marais in 1985. At the time, Hendrik was the owner of a paint and hardware store and he became disheartened with the idea of having to purchase nuts and bolts, screws and nails from wholesalers in very large quantities and then having to weigh them off, re-package and individually label them for each person that came to buy fasteners.
It was a very time consuming exercise and used a lot of valuable time staff could rather have spent on selling goods that had bigger purchase values and yielded more profit. Hendrik’s store focused more on selling paint and he quickly realised that his staff was spending far too much time weighing off fasteners. He therefore decided to pre-pack a complete range of fasteners, in ideal quantities during off-peak times, which enabled his staff to quickly help customers during the store’s busy times.
It wasn't long before he realised this concept was exactly what every handyman and woman out there wanted – a quick, self-help fastener range. Other retailers then realised its potential and requested Hendrik pre-pack fasteners for them as well. And so Eureka was born.
People know Eureka as the orange and brown “bag man” brand. We have a complete solution that manages the supply of fasteners to retailers who in turn can then satisfy their customers’ demand. Our concept is a one-stop shop for general DIY fasteners and can quickly and easily be installed in any store.
Our in-store presentation is characterised by our innovative display stand system where all the products are boldly displayed, readily available and easy to find because they are displayed per category.
Eureka DIY Solutions have over 1 500 pre-packed products and is represented in over 90% of hardware stores in Southern Africa, translating to over 2 000 retailers that we’ve helped to greatly increase sales and profit per m2 on fasteners.
Quick facts and stats about Eureka
- Founded in 1985
- Major supplier in Southern Africa
- Retail orientated
- Own fleet of trucks covering Southern Africa
- Aggressive advertising on TV, radio and print media
- Over 500 employees
- 35 000 m2 factory space
Being the market leader in our industry brought with it the responsibility and need for continuous innovation. And that’s why, as the years rolled on, we introduced new brands, and products, to keep our customers coming back for more.
Fort Knox
The first brand we launched after the birth of Eureka was Fort Knox in 1993 which consists of a range of quality, yet affordable, padlocks, mortise locks, door handles and keys.
The extended, and specialised, range of padlocks allows for the securing of almost anything and everything – from a toolbox to a Wendy house, garden gates, jewellery boxes and even luggage.
The Fort Knox range of mortise locks includes the locally manufactured (SABS approved), 2 and 3 lever locks available as a traditional steel mortise lock as well as a rust resistant Aluminium Fibre Tech mortise lock. We also have a range of euro profile mortise locks with matching handles in attractive finishes.
Fort Knox has seen amazing success in recent years, thanks to the increasing number of residential developments across Southern Africa. As well as the growing DIY market where people experience great satisfaction when they complete projects themselves, even if it’s just installing a new lock or upgrading an old lock with new modern door handles.
Must Haves
In 2014, we recognised that we could once again help hardware stores increase their sales, this time by making better use of their impulse purchase hotspots, especially till point areas. And at the same time save customers the frustration of forgetting those small items which are critical to getting a job done.
We came up with a strategic range of products every person simply must have. It consists of those items people don’t always remember to buy, only to get home and realise they forgot it. Items such as insulation tape, binding wire, rope, double sided tape, small torches, and batteries.
Max Durata
Part of the Must Haves range, our Max Durata Super Alkaline batteries were doing so well, it has become a brand on its own. Ideal for high powered digital devices, these batteries last up to 6 times longer than normal Zinc batteries.
In-house duration tests of our Max Durata batteries, pitted against some leading battery brands, revealed some really good results. Not only are Max Durata batteries able to match the leading battery brands in terms of duration, they come in at a much lower price – making them great value for money.