In gesprek met Kim Zwarenstein van The Dog Lounge

In conversation with Kim Zwarenstein from The Dog Lounge

A cabinet for your collection of books, kitchenware, model trains, hobby materials: at Lundia, we encounter the most wonderful questions, often born from a passion. That's what energizes us! That's why, under the banner of "a cabinet full of passion," we visit people who passionately share what drives them.

Let me introduce myself

Kim Zwarenstein grew up in the Hoeksche Waard, near Rotterdam. When she returned to the Netherlands after a trip to sunny Spain, she started her company The Dog Lounge: the online specialist in dog products. “From a young age, it was my dream to start my own business,” she says. And that dream has come true. In December, she will celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Dog Lounge. We talk with Kim about what it takes to run a webshop, how she combines this with her full-time job, and about her connection with Lundia.

Kleine hond zittend op houten plank tussen verpakkingen met verzorgings- en voedingsproducten voor huisdieren

The Dog Lounge

The seed for an online dog supply store was sown during Kim's time in Spain. "That's where I bought my first dog," she recalls. "I noticed that they hardly sold anything for dogs in Spain at the time, except for dog food and some shoddy toys. That's how I felt the need to offer people more for their dogs. Unfortunately, there wasn't much demand for it in Spain. But when I moved back to the Netherlands a year later, I noticed there was support for an online dog specialty store here. That's how I started The Dog Lounge. There was already some competition, but it wasn't as bad as it is now."

Kim runs the entire webshop single-handedly. From bookkeeping to building the website and placing Facebook ads, she doesn't outsource a single task. And for good reason. "I actually enjoy discovering and learning things myself. My goal isn't to generate as much revenue as possible. I want to learn and experience it all. That's what I enjoy most." And as if this wasn't busy enough, Kim also has a full-time job in addition to running the webshop. "I could choose to sit on the couch every night and watch TV, but that's not how I work. I just want more. I want to learn and do everything, discover new things. While many people watch Netflix in their free time, entrepreneurship is my hobby."

About Lundia and Kim's cabinets

Kim found Lundia for the shelving units in her showroom. Although she wasn't familiar with the brand, she went with Lundia with complete conviction. "In my search for cabinets, I knew one thing for sure: I didn't want a standard shelving unit, but something beautiful that exuded quality. My father-in-law gave me the tip to look at Lundia, as he had done the same himself. When I googled it, I saw the clear-lacqueredLundia cabinetsThat wasn't for me; I wanted something with a pop of color. Later, I looked again and saw a black Lundia cabinet combined with wood. That was exactly what I was looking for." Kim ultimately opted for shelving units with black uprights and clear-lacquered shelves. Lundia's modular system was the deciding factor in the purchase. "The fact that the cabinets are adjustable and expandable is ideal for me as an entrepreneur," she explains. "Because my assortment can change, and growth is difficult to predict. Thanks to the modular system, I can always adjust the cabinets. For example, I initially divided the collars over three cabinets. Later, I bought three more shelves and an upright, and suddenly I had a whole extra cabinet. That way, you can easily expand your shop. And if I ever stop with the webshop, I can put the cabinets nicely in my house. With boring shelving units from the hardware store, that's not possible," Kim concludes with a wink.

When we asked Kim to highlight something special from the cabinet, she came up with a surprising suggestion. Or maybe not. Because Kim—how could it be otherwise—loves dogs and she just got a new puppy. She placed him on the bottom shelf of the shelving unit in The Dog Lounge showroom. And it made for a beautiful display!

We thank Kim for her time and the nice conversation!

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