Before May 2025, Brian Roberts Agencies built its business almost entirely through physical retail, with online sales playing only a minor role. TDMC built and launched a dedicated Takealot portal to change that - establishing a scalable, measurable e-commerce revenue stream and extending the brand's reach beyond traditional retail. The launch validated demand immediately, with strong sales in the first two months. A stock shortage then caused a real dip in July and August - but the moment stock was restored, sales recovered just as quickly, confirming that the strategy itself was working all along. By October and November, the portal had returned to stable, consistent growth, setting Brian Roberts up for a stronger 2026.
01
Executive Summary
02
Introduction
Brian Roberts Agencies had spent years building its business on the strength of physical retail. Expanding onto Takealot in May 2025 wasn't just about adding another sales channel - it was about establishing a genuine, scalable online presence in a market where more South African shoppers are buying digitally every year.
03
The Challenge
Online sales had been a blind spot.
With the business built on physical retail and only limited prior online activity, a significant pool of potential customers - and revenue - had gone largely untapped.
A credible marketplace presence had to be built from nothing.
Succeeding on Takealot meant more than listing products. It meant earning visibility, ranking and customer trust in a competitive marketplace where Brian Roberts had no existing online track record to build from.
04
The Solution
TDMC approached the launch as a full marketplace build, not a simple product listing exercise.
Launching with full marketplace optimisation
Every product title, description, attribute and image was optimised from the outset, with products classified under the most searchable categories to maximise discoverability. Competitive pricing was set and supported with relevant promotions, including Daily Deals, to drive visibility and conversion from day one.
Building trust as a new entrant
With no existing online reputation to lean on, trust had to be built deliberately - through a consistent brand voice across the portal, packaging improvements designed to reduce returns and encourage positive reviews, and a focus on fast fulfilment alongside competitive pricing.
Optimising for conversion value, not just visibility
Beyond simply getting found, the strategy focused on what happened once customers landed on a listing - introducing lifestyle-focused product bundling to lift average order value, enhanced lifestyle photography to better showcase the products, and testing alternative price points to better understand what actually drove purchase decisions.
Treating stock as a strategic lever
When stock shortages emerged as the clearest barrier to consistent growth, planning was tightened heading into Q4 to keep availability ahead of demand rather than reacting after the fact.
05
Results
The data told an honest, instructive story.
- Strong sales in the first two months confirmed genuine product-market fit and a successful onboarding - customers responded well to improved visibility and competitive pricing from the outset.
- Stock shortages caused a clear dip in July and August - but sales resumed quickly the moment stock was restored, confirming that demand and strategy weren't the constraint. Stock availability was.
- Stable, consistent growth returned in October and November, closing out the year on solid footing rather than ending on the mid-year dip.
06
Conclusion
Takealot has proven itself a genuinely high-potential channel for Brian Roberts Agencies - not a hypothetical one. The first year surfaced exactly the kind of real-world lesson that shapes a stronger second year: that with consistent stock availability, well-timed seasonal promotions and continued optimisation, the portal is positioned to deliver significantly stronger growth in 2026.
