FOR SALE: The Apartment Cat 🐈⬛
Established South African cats-only e-commerce retailer | R350,000 negotiable
www.theapartmentcat.co.za
An exciting opportunity to acquire The Apartment Cat, a fully developed South African online retailer dedicated exclusively to cats and the humans who serve them.
The Apartment Cat is anything but an ordinary pet shop. Built around a distinctive, humorous, mafia-inspired feline personality, the brand combines quality cat products with clever storytelling, memorable design and a healthy dose of attitude.
The brand has been exceptionally well received by customers, with a five-star customer rating, excellent customer engagement and a memorable identity that helps it stand out in the competitive pet retail market.
The website, branding, product catalogue, supplier relationships and e-commerce infrastructure are already established.
What will the next owner need?
I want to be upfront about the resources required to develop this business successfully. The Apartment Cat has an extensive foundation in place, but it needs further investment and the right expertise.
1. A substantial marketing budget and specialist expertise
The business needs an owner with strong e-commerce marketing knowledge or the resources to employ an experienced digital marketer.
Ideally, this should be someone with proven experience managing Meta Ads and Google Ads specifically for e-commerce, preferably within retail.
A dedicated advertising budget, separate from the purchase price, will be essential.
2. Additional capital for inventory expansion
There is considerable opportunity to expand the product range, particularly cat food and consumables.
The business already retails Hill’s and other established brands, with a Royal Canin supplier application initiated.
Additional working capital will be needed to broaden the food offering, introduce further products and replenish existing lines where stock levels are low.
I can provide supplier introductions, sourcing information and guidance on additional brands and distributors.
3. Suitable commercial and storage space
The business currently operates from a small storage unit costing approximately R1,000 per month, which may be available for the buyer to take over, subject to the landlord’s agreement.
However, this arrangement is not ideal for a growing e-commerce operation. A more suitable small commercial space with room for inventory, packing and dispatch would be preferable.
4. One or two additional people
Running the entire operation alone has been one of its biggest challenges.
Ideally, the new owner should have support for:
• Picking, packing, inventory handling and dispatch.
• General administration, customer enquiries, WhatsApp communications and day-to-day order management.
These responsibilities could initially be divided between one or two employees, depending on the owner’s involvement and sales volumes.
What’s included in the sale?
🐈 Complete Shopify website
• Fully developed, professionally designed e-commerce website and domain.
• 637 listed product variants, including 513 with recorded stock in the latest inventory export.
• Product listings, photography, descriptions, collections and blog content.
• Existing integrations and operational systems.
📦 Inventory and physical assets
• Current inventory at recorded cost: approximately R240,879.
• Estimated retail value of current inventory: approximately R531,292.
• Imported, locally sourced and premium cat products.
• Packaging materials, boxes, bags, tape, labels, storage containers, shelving, printer, scale and other operational equipment, provisionally valued at R20,000.
🎩 Complete brand identity
• The Apartment Cat name, domain, logo, mascot and artwork.
• Distinctive brand identity, creative designs and marketing materials.
• Existing product photography, social media content and brand assets.
📈 Digital marketing and customer infrastructure
• Over 1,225 email subscribers.
• Five-star customer rating and positive customer feedback.
• Existing Meta advertising pixel and campaign assets.
• Google Analytics, Search Console, Merchant Center and related infrastructure.
• Established email marketing and customer communication systems.
• Social media accounts and existing content.
Digital assets and customer information will be transferred where permitted by platform rules and applicable privacy requirements.
🤝 Supplier relationships and sourcing
• Established South African and international supplier contacts.
• Existing retail arrangements for Hill’s and other brands.
• Royal Canin supplier application initiated.
• International sourcing information and supplier introductions.
• Guidance on expanding the product range and identifying additional suppliers.
📣 Influencer and creator marketing opportunities
The Apartment Cat has already established two creator relationships, including one recent sign-up.
This provides an opportunity to expand into influencer, affiliate and creator-led marketing with the support of an experienced e-commerce marketer.
📋 Handover and operational guidance
I am willing to assist with a structured handover, including existing systems, supplier introductions, product sourcing information and recommendations for further development.
Why am I selling?
I have thoroughly enjoyed building The Apartment Cat. Creating the brand, developing the website, sourcing the products and engaging with customers have been incredibly rewarding.
Unfortunately, the business has operated at a loss.
The two biggest challenges have been insufficient resources for professional digital marketing and the demands of running almost every aspect of the operation alone.
I simply haven’t had the financial capacity to employ the additional people or specialist marketing support that the business needs.
I believe The Apartment Cat deserves the opportunity to grow under someone with the necessary resources, experience and operational support.
The business has an established foundation, a distinctive brand that customers respond to and considerable scope for further development. However, prospective buyers should understand that additional investment will be required and future profitability is not guaranteed.
Who would this opportunity suit?
An existing pet retailer looking to expand into online retail, an experienced e-commerce entrepreneur, or an investor with access to marketing expertise and operational resources.
The Apartment Cat has deliberately positioned itself as a cats-only retailer, with a personality and identity that differentiates it from conventional pet stores.
Asking price: R350,000 negotiable
The asking price includes the website, brand, inventory, supplier information, digital infrastructure and associated physical assets.
Current inventory value at recorded cost: R240,879.49.
The final purchase price will be adjusted rand-for-rand according to the difference between this inventory baseline and the verified inventory value at the date of sale, using the same valuation method.
For example, if the negotiated purchase price is R350,000 and the stock value decreases by R7,000 before transfer, the final purchase price will be R343,000.
📩 Serious enquiries: linda@theapartmentcat.com
🌐 www.theapartmentcat.co.za
