Please turn your device to portrait.
The Carpet Call group has acquired Dollar Curtains + Blinds outright, taking on all 28 stores, the Kilsyth manufacturing facility and the existing management team. General Manager Chris Sencek stays on; the Crosby family has retired.
The Carpet Call group has acquired Dollar Curtains + Blinds, a window furnishings franchise network trading since 1967. The purchase was made through DCB Group Holdings Pty Ltd and covers the entire business: the 11 company-owned stores, manufacturing facilities, intellectual property and all franchise agreements. The business is now fully integrated into the Carpet Call group.
“The acquisition included the entire business, including the 11 company-owned stores, manufacturing facilities, intellectual property and franchise agreements,” National Franchise Manager Jack McClane told WFA.
The network runs to 28 stores, 17 franchised and 11 company-owned. Dollar Furnishings Pty Ltd continues as the franchisor, and all stores keep trading under the Dollar Curtains + Blinds brand. No store closures, relocations or rationalisation are planned. The group says its focus is growing the network from its current base of 28.
Leadership: Sencek stays on, Crosby family retires
Chris Sencek continues as General Manager of Dollar Curtains + Blinds. The Crosby family, which built the business over decades, has retired.
“The Crosby family built an outstanding business over many decades and have now retired from the business,” McClane said. “We thank them for their contribution and wish them well in their retirement.”
There are no planned changes to the manufacturing operation or its workforce.
Manufacturing stays in Kilsyth
DCB’s manufacturing operation in Kilsyth, Victoria, has been retained. The facility continues to produce curtains, awnings and a wide range of blinds.
“We have retained the manufacturing operation in Kilsyth, Victoria, and local manufacturing remains an important part of the business moving forward,” McClane said.
What changes for franchisees
McClane said franchisees gain access to greater buying power and scale. The group is exploring improved supplier arrangements and more effective advertising for the network, and is drawing on its existing marketing partners and support teams to provide franchisees with additional marketing resources. An additional Victorian franchise manager has been hired to support DCB franchisees.
McClane visited all 17 franchise locations in February and March to gather feedback. The group held its first national franchise meeting in Melbourne on 3 June, with 100 per cent attendance, giving franchisees a forum to share ideas and discuss products and marketing initiatives.
Over the next 12 months, the group says it will focus on strengthening franchisee support, enhancing marketing, improving buying opportunities and growing the network.
Strategic fit and cross-ranging
The Carpet Call group already operates in window furnishings through the Sultan’s Blinds and Mega Blinds brands within its Solomons and Carpet Call networks. McClane said the acquisition strengthens the group’s position in the home improvement sector, and that it sees opportunities to grow all three brands.
Cross-ranging is on the table: some DCB franchised stores may add a Solomons Flooring or Carpet Call modular store and offer flooring alongside window furnishings.
“The acquisition of Dollar Curtains + Blinds strengthens our position in the home improvement sector and supports our long-term growth strategy,” McClane said.
