Allan and Margaret Hirsch started their family run appliance business in a tiny showroom in Umhlanga Rocks Drive, Durban in 1979. Today Hirsch’s has grown into a chain of mega appliance and home furnishing stores in KwaZulu-Natal, the Cape and Gauteng. Their strength, they believe, is in their well- trained staff and customer service.

The Hirsch’s started off small, building a strong base of customers over the years, first with repairs and second-hand repaired appliances and then as a fully-fledged appliance retailer. Hirsch’s is very much a family run business with all four members of the Hirsch family involved in the day-to-day operations. As a family, the Hirsch’s form a formidable force supported by their management team who have a strong commitment to the same goals. They are backed by 850 permanent employees who are as dedicated to the company as the Hirsch’s and their management team are.

A Solid Reputation
Over the years the company has continued to build a solid reputation by being associated with big brands, giving great service and carrying a wide range of products for the home. In KZN in 2000, they started their Home Store concept, where almost everything for the home can be purchased under one roof. This proved to be a great success and two years later, in 2002, they took the concept to Gauteng. In April 2012 they opened their first branch in Cape Town (Milnerton). They also have a strong online presence with customers from around South Africa shopping from Hirsch’s online site.

Over the past 43 years their entrepreneurial spirit has helped drive the growth of the business. In 1983 Allan bought a couple of microwaves believing that this was one of the new must have products. He was disappointed to still have microwaves in stock at the end of the month. The Hirsch’s decided to have an evening cooking demonstration and sold 11 microwaves on the first evening. However, once people bought the microwaves, they didn’t know how to use them, so Margaret started a microwave cookery school.
Margaret said, “I always say to people, “If you knew that you were going to succeed, would you try it?” and they always say ‘Yes’. Don’t let anything hold you back from trying new things in your life.” Despite the downturn in the economy in the last two years, Hirsch’s have still managed to open three new branches around the country. They opened the first SMEG Concept store in Africa in the Cape in 2021. They also opened a new Samsung Concept store in the Cape in 2021 and a brand new state-of-the-art flagship Hirsch’s store in Waterfall in the Midrand opened its doors for the first time in 2022.

Charities and Sponsorships
The Hirsch family does not take anything for granted and are regularly involved in various charities and sponsorships. Their giving nature ensures that they are always willing to help those in need. Allan, for instance, is a patron of the Phoenix Child Welfare society and Richard is a patron of the Claire-Ellis School. Margaret is involved with the School for the Blind in Gauteng. Since 2012, she has been instrumental in helping to get the Girls with Dignity project off the ground and has personally purchased thousands of panty packs to hand out to girls in underprivileged areas so they can attend school full time. She also gives inspirational talks to all the students.

Being passionate about women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, Margaret started business women’s and entrepreneurial networking events around the country. These were held instore until the pandemic and are now held virtually. She is also always involved in regular cooking events in store – highlighting different products and putting the spotlight on guest chefs she cooks with.

Technology and Marketing
Commenting on Hirsch’s marketing strategy, and how online advertising has become an important feature, Allan says “Technology has become almost unrecognisable over the years. We have reached this amazing communicative age where things happen instantly. A lot more people are shopping online and having goods delivered to them the next day.”

Sustainability and Environment
Allan is passionate about the environment and energy efficiency. “Many years ago, I realised how important energy efficiency was in South Africa. It made me very aware of how appliances can be used effectively and how certain appliances use less water and less electricity and are quieter than others. It is something we have been driving and we try to encourage the consumer to buy energy efficient products. I believe as an appliance retail store we really can influence decisions and at the same time make a difference. We believe it starts at the socket. If things that are not being used are unplugged it makes a difference,” he says.