 | |
| Company type | Private Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce, Retail |
| Founded | 2006 (2006) |
| Founder | Andrew Smith, Shane Dryden |
| Headquarters | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Area served | South Africa |
| Key people | Andrew Smith, Shane Dryden |
| Number of employees | 150+ |
| Website | yuppiechef.com |
Yuppiechef is an online retailer of kitchen and homeware products founded in 2006 by Andrew Smith and Shane Dryden in Cape Town, South Africa.
Originally run from Smith’s home, Yuppiechef was one of a few experimental e-commerce projects initiated by the co-founders, who were running a web development agency at the time. Initially, the first Yuppiechef deliveries were packed and shipped from Smith's lounge.
In 2010, Yuppiechef gained significant media attention through guerrilla marketing that made use of a national marketing campaign by retailer Woolworths called ‘Woolies Lovebirds’. A misspelled URL on Woolworth’s marketing material, allowed them to register the URL, and post a ransom note asking that Woolworths match any donations by Yuppiechef’s customers to a local charity they supported at the time.
Known for their handwritten cards and fanatical customer following, Yuppiechef is considered one of the pioneers of e-commerce in South Africa and has been named the best eCommerce store in South Africa from 2010 - 2015.
Twelve years after starting its online store, Yuppiechef opened its first brick & mortar stores in Cape Town and Johannesburg. In October 2017, the first of their physical retail stores was launched. The company has subsequently opened two more stores in Cape Town. Yuppiechef is now headquartered in Westlake Business Park, from where they also operate a store.
Yuppiechef was sold to Mr Price in 2021 for an undisclosed amount.
Smith and Dryden launched their next business, Brave Hardy, in 2023
See also
References
- "Andrew Smith | Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans". Archive-za.com. 2013-03-20. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- Barry, Hanna (2015-04-14). "What Yuppiechef can teach corporates about customer service". Moneyweb. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- "Woolies campaign 'hijacked' | Sci-Tech | Sci-Tech | M&G". Mg.co.za. 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- Davis, Rebecca (2010-02-07). "Ambush marketers hold Woolworths to ransom, and get some lovin' in return". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- "Adams & Adams Attorneys > Media Centre > News > Woolworths' lovebirds held for ransom". Adamsadams.com. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- "eCommerce Contenders: The rise of Yuppiechef - MWEB Small Biz". Mweb.co.za. 2014-12-10. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
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- "2010 Winners". eCommerce Awards. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
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- "2012 Winners". eCommerce Awards. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- "2013 Winners". eCommerce Awards. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- "2014 Winners". eCommerce Awards. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
- "This startling statistic shows why Yuppiechef is opening stores in malls". BusinessInsider. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- "Yuppiechef is opening its first brick and mortar store next month". Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- "About Yuppiechef's Physical Stores & Omnichannel Retail Strategy". www.yuppiechef.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
- "Mr Price purchase of Yuppiechef gets the go-ahead". Bizcommunity. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- "Founders of YuppieChef launch premium camping retailer, Brave Hardy". CapeTalk. Retrieved 2023-12-13.