Eva's Evolution: From Mattresses to Omnichannel Furniture and ERP Headaches

GETTING TO THE ROOT WITH EVA.COM.AU FURNITURE FOUNDERS Hosts: Rudi Khoury & Marcel Berger Guests: Amanda Niu (ex-neuropsychologist) & Ken Lau (ex-engineer), Eva Furniture founders KEY TOPICS Business Evolution: Online mattress retailer (2017) → Full furniture range + physical showrooms (2025) ERP Implementation Challenge: Replacing homegrown “Garage” system Managing complex modular product logistics across 5 warehouses Integration of freight, inventory, CRM, planning, and finance Counter-Traditional Retail Strategy: Digital-to-physical expansion driven by customer demand Showrooms designed as homes, not sales floors Physical retail as growth accelerant, not limitation Customer-First Product Development: 30% return customer rate (industry-beating) Deliberate launch delays to ensure product perfection Round-table feedback and in-office testing protocols STANDOUT INSIGHTS ERP described as “sucking the soul out” but essential for scaling Modular sofa management = “hell” without proper systems Technology split: Centralized ERP core + flexible marketing stack Bootstrapped origins created disciplined, sustainable growth mindset BUSINESS IMPACT Ken projects ERP implementation will enable 2-3× business growth without proportional increase in operational costs. CONNECT & SHARE Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTube Follow: @listentotheroot across all platforms Website: therootpodcast.com Guest: Matt Bates Hosts: Marcel Berger | Rudi Khoury Tags: #DataStrategy #Construction #BusinessIntelligence #DecisionMaking Share link: therootpodcast.com/data-gridlock Newsletter: therootpodcast.com/subscribe © 2025 The Root Podcast