Leroy Merlin, the home improvement retail giant, is launching a marketplace that combines product sales with on-demand services. This first-of-its-kind platform in South Africa allows customers to purchase products and book installation and repair services, such as handyman, flooring, roofing and home makeover services.

Customers can schedule services directly on Leroy Merlin’s website, combining product purchases with the option to hire trusted professionals. This eliminates the hassle of searching for service providers on community forums or WhatsApp groups, where quality and reliability can be hit or miss.

Instead, customers gain access to a trusted database of vetted general contractors, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters and more in their area. Because they are supported by a reputable brand and have clear, upfront pricing, customers have confidence and peace of mind knowing they are booking quality services from a reliable source rather than taking risks with unknown contractors.

The decision to expand into services is driven by a shift in global retail trends. Recent market research indicates that between 15% and 30% of future retail turnover may come from services, rather than just product sales. As part of its strategic growth, Leroy Merlin aims to position itself as a leader in this evolving landscape.

“The retail industry is moving beyond simply selling products,” said Dmitri Anderson, CIO and head of e-commerce and marketplace strategy at Leroy Merlin South Africa. “Products are becoming commoditised; they’re easy to copy, source and sell. But services are unique, personalised and essential. By launching this platform, we’re addressing a clear need in the market for trusted, accessible home services, while also providing new opportunities for local service providers.”

Smooth experience

Many service providers lack access to sophisticated tools that help them manage their daily tasks, such as scheduling jobs, managing teams and defining service areas. Using AfriGIS’s advanced “iframe” technology, the platform allows service providers to choose multiple zones within a city – like Fourways, Bryanston or Morningside – right on the map. This feature is built into the onboarding process, making it simple for providers to set up their profiles, enter their business hours and define where they operate. It also helps them manage their schedules easily. This integration creates a smooth, user-friendly experience for both service providers and customers, making the booking process much simpler.

“The solution is fully integrated with Leroy Merlin’s current systems, supported by their partner Xebia,” said Simphiwe Tshume, geographic information systems consultant at AfriGIS. “Our team worked closely with Leroy Merlin to ensure a smooth implementation, providing support and adjustments throughout the process. This minimised disruptions and ensured continuous operation throughout implementation.”

The entire project, from concept to roll-out, was completed in just two months. “AfriGIS had everything we needed, including up-to-date data on postal codes and suburbs,” Anderson said. “This allowed us to quickly integrate the solution into our platform without needing additional custom development.”

As part of their collaboration, AfriGIS also developed an iframe plugin that is now available on the Appian marketplace, allowing other businesses to benefit from this cutting-edge technology.

“Without AfriGIS’s technology, our vision would have remained just an idea sketched on paper,” said Anderson. “The mapping solution was key to bringing our concept to life and allowing us to offer a truly integrated and user-friendly platform.”

While the platform is currently in a “soft launch” phase, with a select number of service providers onboarded, Leroy Merlin has plans to expand its reach. Full advertising campaigns are scheduled to begin soon, with the goal of scaling up and gathering extensive customer feedback.

“This is only the beginning,” Anderson said. “We’re excited to see how this platform will change the way South Africans access home services, making it easier, faster and more reliable.”

About AfriGIS
AfriGIS is the leading geospatial information science company in Southern Africa that specialises in location-sensitive data and solutions. It provides customers across the board with a suite of web-based tools and APIs to connect to, enhance and enrich their own data with location intelligence, insights and trusted data. The organisation was founded in 1997 and celebrates more than 25 years in business. It is a level 1-certified broad-based black economic empowerment business with more than 100 employees in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town in South Africa, Dublin in Ireland, and Dhaka in Bangladesh.