25/6/2021
From a small store with just 45 m² to a national retail giant. Havan’s history is marked by constant transformation and the relentless pursuit of excellent service. This Saturday, June 26, the chain founded in Brusque (SC) completes 35 years with surprising results: 160 megastores in 18 states and the Federal District, more than 20 thousand employees, 700 suppliers, a reference Distribution Center in Latin America and an average growth of 40% in recent years. Even in 2020, a challenging year for everyone, Havan had a revenue of almost R$11 billion.
Havan’s owner Luciano Hang, says that one of the great differentials is Havan’s constant capacity to transform itself. When it was founded, Havan marketed a single product, which was fabric, and today there are more than 350,000 items. “Our goal is to delight customers and make them have a unique shopping experience. We offer what they need with quality, fair price, in a beautiful shopping environment, welcoming and with special service.”
To supply the chain of stores, Havan maintains a Distribution Center, located in Barra Velha (SC), which has approximately 200 thousand m² of constructed area. The space works 24 hours a day and has the latest technology in logistics, being considered the most technological DC in Latin America. “Logistics is one of the biggest challenges in retail, that’s why we constantly invest in technology. We recently inaugurated a stacker crane (robot) in which we invested more than R$100 million”, explains Hang.
Three pillars
Luciano emphasizes that Havan’s culture is what makes it different. For the entrepreneur, employees and suppliers are as fundamental part of the business’ success as the customers. Such positioning directly reflects on how teams recognize the company. So much so that the chain was recognized as one of the best companies to work by the Great Place to Work (GPTW). “At Havan we have three pillars: employee, customer and supplier. We want everyone to have a good relationship with the company. We believe that our business will only work if everyone has the same purpose, which is the social and economic development of Brazil.”
The future
Havan’s new business manager, Lucas Hang, talks about the company’s future. He explains that the chain is continuing with the expansion project and next year it should set up a megastore in each Brazilian state. “For 2022, the plans are to reach 220 megastores and, with this, we will have 25,000 direct employees and generate yet another 150,000 indirect jobs. Brazil is a fertile ground for opportunities and we have a lot to expand in the country.”
The head of Digital Transformation at Havan, Matheus Hang, adds that Havan is going through the digital transformation process, aiming to bring to digital the same level of excellence that the Havan customer finds in physical stores. “In these 35 years, Havan has made history. We are constantly changing and always ready for a new challenge. We are prepared to live a new era with the focus where it needs to be, on people. We will always adapt and offer customers what they need. This will always be our goal”, he concludes.
