Have you ever seen something in a catalogue and thought: Yeah, that’s cool. That’s what I need for my truck!” Only to find that your whatever it is can’t actually be sourced in New Zealand?
It’s a bit crushing, because now, to get your rig looking as good as you want it to, means you have to go find the item and then shell out, well, maybe a bit more than your Significant Other would approve of. Bummer!
Well, the 4WD Supply Co might just be the solution to your problem.
You likely won’t know about the 4WD Supply Co, being as how it has been trading for a little over 18 months now.
In saying that, the family-owned and operated business headed up by brother and sister Todd and Hannah Littlewood – with a little help from Dad Peter – has already developed something of a Facebook fan-club of customers who like the way 4WD Supply Co works.
The product/stock selection works on – maybe not a rock-solid principle – but one which hits the mark for customers who appreciate camping and 4WD vehicle accessories which do the job, look good and are affordable. Todd explains:
“I’ve spent a few years in the aftermarket accessory business,” he says, “and I’ve seen plenty of customers looking for something specific for their vehicle to make it stand out.
“I’ve also seen plenty of people not able to get what they want, so I thought there was a niche market to source products which I thought looked pretty cool.”
Hannah adds “A lot of customers, when they get told they can’t get the item they want locally, often don’t know how to go about looking for it. That’s where we come in.”
Todd and Hannah – while still working full time jobs – spend much of their ‘working the business time’ scouring the internet for off-road accessories they think others will be impressed with.
When Todd or Hannah find something which they like, they contact the supplier direct, buy whatever is available then bring it to New Zealand.
“In some cases,” says Todd, “the supplier might be a well-known brand, like Kings out of Australia or Carbon for winches, but those brands may not make everything available to larger distributors here or larger distributors here may not want to bring in everything from the brand. We can, and we do.”
With this level of business agility, the 4WD Supply Co can also bring in items and market them cost effectively. It sounds counter intuitive, but this is one instance where boutique brand shopping is often more affordable than not, and the level of personal service will blow your mind.
Todd and Hannah are genuine people who take a genuine interest in making your vehicle look and perform as good as you want it to.
And with the unorthodox – but effective method – of product research, Todd and Hannah are often able to supply products which are stock limited to major distributors sitting at the bottom of the world as far as supply chains go or have products which are cutting edge technology, and which haven’t even made it to our market.
“We are in tune with trends,” says Hannah,“ and we know that GME radios are hot right now with supply lines just starting to open up. We expect to see a lot of demand for these.”
“In the meantime,” adds Todd, “we also know there is demand for things like tents, entertainment setups, solar accessories and other ‘just in time’ for summer camping and 4W Driving items as well as the traditional off-road standby products like winches, recovery kits, sliding drawer units, power inverters, lift kits and the like.”
Hitting the market for the party season for example, is the range of waterproof, ute-mountable or otherwise portable Bluetooth speakers from EcoXgear. These come in a range of sizes, suitable for every outdoor application.
The takeaway from all this? If you see something your 4WD needs or would improve it, give the 4WD Supply Co a holler.
Chances are Todd or Hannah thought it might be good for your truck too, and they may already be onto it. If not, they should be your first port of call for hunting whatever it is out and bringing it in.
To get an idea of what the 4WD Supply Co. can do for your 4WD, visit the www.4wdsupply.co.nz website and don’t be afraid to leave a message through the contact page.