By James Wells and Matthew Henry

SYDNEY: Betta Stores Retail (BSR) has added Sydney-based electrical supplier, Commercial Direct, as an unidentified member, enabling the group to make inroads to the commercial channel.

Owned by Mervyn Levine and his son Bruce Levine, Commercial Direct specialises in supplying electrical and electronic goods to the commercial market.

According to BSR general manager, Ian Brown, Commercial Direct will prove a beneficial addition to the buying group.

“Commercial Direct provides our group coverage across a distribution channel that is not easily accessed by our existing retail members,” said Brown.

“With Mervyn’s experience in the electrical industry and Bruce’s experience in the commercial area, they undoubtedly add great value to our group.”

Mervyn Levine was previously with Seconds World  for nine years, which was a former member of Betta Stores before joining the Narta group.

While Commercial Direct’s head office and warehouse is located in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria, the company supplies goods to customers across the country.

The business was established by Mervyn’s son Bruce two and a half years ago and Mervyn bought into the business a year ago.

“Joining BSR has opened up some avenues that were closed to us because we were not a member of a buying group,” Mervyn Levine told Current.com.au this afternoon.

“Having known all the people at Betta Stores, we have followed the new company and they seemed to have their act together and the group is back to what it should be and that enticed us in.”

Levine said the buying power of the group will also prove an asset for his business.

“BSR provides us with improved buying as well as a price book and the ability to have someone else create and maintain that price book for me electronically. They also provide continuous information out of the industry that they pass on,” he said.

Trading in a specific sector of the market, Commercial Direct is not in competition with BSR’s current retail business.

“We trade on the commercial side of the industry as a niche player in a very different market to retail,” said Levine.