Getting down to business, with the family. That is exactly what Diego and Toni Diaz, from the gypsy community, are doing. The first was just 21 years old, the second 18 years old, when they decided to open their store
Matelas & Sommiers together in the Hauts de Massane district, in a 133 m² commercial space they leased from ACM Habitat.
For them, it was out of the question to create the store anywhere else: “We wanted to open our store where we have always lived, providing a retail offering that did not exist in our neighborhood.”
Diego and Toni Diaz are also upholding a family tradition. Their father José sold mattresses and box springs at local markets. The two brothers helped him “when they didn’t have school,” says José, who helped them get set up. That help was crucial, as Diego and Toni opened their business shortly before the very first lockdown.
“Since we had just opened, we were not eligible for the financial aid that had been made available”, the two brothers recall.
They had to overcome this challenge to the best of their own ability. All made in France, the mattresses and box springs in their store are sold at factory prices both to individuals and professionals. They had to get the word out quickly.
The health crisis drove Diego and Toni Diaz to focus on social networks, and create a
Facebook page and an
Instagram account. They also used
Google My Business services to give their store good online visibility, and distributed flyers to present their offering in the Montpellier shopping area. They also promoted their installment payment solutions and delivery within 10 kilometers.
The brothers are both contributing, at their own level, to help transform the La Mosson district, which is currently
the focus of a major urban renewal project being implemented by the city of Montpellier and Montpellier Métropole.
“One of our major objectives is to enable residents and local players to take part in the commercial transformation of their community,” says Roger-Yannick Chartier, deputy mayor of Montpellier, in charge of local businesses, crafts, and tourism.
Matelas & Sommiers is a great demonstration of this approach. Diego and Toni Diaz, two young entrepreneurs springing forward with energy and creativity.
