About Discount Directionals

Of course, they arrange home delivery. More importantly, they source everything for the customer who only has to submit a single shopping list. DD offers the same kind of service, a one-stop shopping, to its well-defined customer base. They get the best products at the best price from a single source. That is the primary reason DD has continued to exist for 25 years.

A rarely acknowledged benefit, the top 2% of DD customers have their own personal shopper, similar to how top-tier hotels and airlines give their true elites a dedicated contact within their organization. That will not change as these customers represent a disproportionate share of the DD revenue.

However, with the changing way folks shop today, DD has had to modify its structure. Not stopping the personalized customer service to existing customers, but expanding its offering to the general public.

Our plans call for systematically posting additional products on the website so that more one-time buyers can benefit from the extensive resources we have developed over the decades.

Because having a top position for key search terms still does not assure page one position on google, we expect to do more advertising in the year 2023. Those who, today, just look at the website do not realize that it has had just minor changes since the first website. There have been graphic refreshes, but all the core products are still the same as in 1998.

What is missing, is the fact that of all the products DD supplies, the website currently reflects less than 5%. We still operate mostly from the customer shopping list. Most people can appreciate the need to change that.

We want to keep the boutique personalized service but understand the need to compete with the smaller kitchen table e-commerce websites and their fancy web graphics and exaggerated claims.

So how does DD fit within the larger Okono family of businesses?  DD was conceived as the retail face of the company. Okono was primarily organized for import and export, both wholesaling imports and exporting to the far east. DD operates semi-independently with its own CS and accounting support.

When Okono began, it was in a house in Palm Springs. Why Palm Springs? The owner of the company had a weekend house, and more importantly, Palm Springs was still within direct delivery from the port of Long Beach/Los Angeles. As an importer, that saved time and expense that could be useful in keeping prices low and competitive.

The original house in 1998, had used Herman Miller modules to support a 6 person CS and sales team in the living room, plus a bedroom as the manager’s office. So, although Okono did not start in the basement or in the attic, it did start in the small living room with printers and huge servers surrounding the people. It was a little bit noisy. 

Even though the house no longer serves a practical use for Okono, it was and still is, the official corporate address for taxes and government notices.  Every so often, a semi-truck shows up assuming that is the company’s address, to the neighbors’ chagrin. 

With current sales volume DD does extensive drop shipping from the premium suppliers of our products from 14 regular locations across the country. We still have the primary warehouse in North Palm Springs. That is where most imports are received, and where we also drop ship for other vendors or resellers. As a secure location, entry for delivery or pick up is restricted with appointments required.