Furniture is quite often the very first customization that we do in our lives. From baby-proofing chairs and tables to make high chairs or study desks, we start our lives with furniture that has been customized for our needs. In fact, without furniture, our homes would be boring and drab—borderline lifeless! The furniture we have in our homes defines us—contemporary or modern, minimalistic or opulent—furniture in our homes makes the first impression on every guest who visits us. This makes furniture the single most important thing in our house after lighting and water supply.
Purchasing furniture is usually a long-term decision. We decide if what we’re buying suits our lifestyle and our existing home décor, ensuring that what we buy suits our budget, our taste and our needs. Shopping for furniture has traditionally been a completely offline experience. Even in large furniture stores such as Ikea, people love to browse, sit on things, try them out and then buy them. Although standardized furniture is bought using Ikea’s and other retailers online or offline catalogue, lifestyle and room furniture still warrant a trip to the furniture section or your local furniture market.
In the highly digitized world of today which has been turbocharged by the coronavirus pandemic—nearly everything we buy has moved online. From medicines to shoes to clothes to food and essentials—all you need is now available in mobile apps or websites 24/7. With 80-90% of the shops now moving for an offline experience, why should furniture be left behind?
Major brands such as IKEA, Etsy, Amazon, Target, Pepperfry, Home Depot, Urban ladder and many more are making the digital shift or are 100% online stores that use the power of technology such as AI and ML to help customers find that perfect piece of furniture. However, with many of us still preferring the offline world when it comes to rugs, beds and sofas, why are companies still pushing for a digital alternative?
We decided to dig deep and figure out the reasons why customers prefer an online or an offline experience. Our research relied on analysing common customer behaviour online, personalized interviews and interactions with clients. Although this survey was conducted to help us design a better and more informed user experience for one of our clients, and we completed this survey many months before the lockdown began in most parts of the world, the decision to write about it was made when we were asked the same question by another prospect.
Without further ado, here is our analysis of user expectations and experiences and the major reason why they shop online or offline for furniture. To make this an easy read we have segregated this into two distinct sections—buying online and buying offline.
-
Purchasing furniture offline
Traditionally, new furniture acquisition was done by visiting a carpenter’s shop or asking one to come over to create the furniture you needed for you at your home. With industrialization came the need to mass-produce low-cost furniture, which could easily be replicated and sold to the public in bulk. Retailers had the option to showcase a unit that people could see, feel and try before they bought it.
This need to touch and see furniture before purchase made retail furniture stores possible. These stores would let customers see, customize and purchase furniture after they saw it. Furniture stores also offer catalogues of similar furniture types so those purchase decisions can be made impulsively while looking at other furniture. Purchasing offline meets the following needs of customers and retailers:
Customers:
- Have the ability to experience the actual piece of furniture they will get
- Purchase the item immediately from the store or get it delivered after minor customizations
- Browse and see other furniture types in the store itself
- Get assistance from sales personnel to guide them during furniture purchase
- Visit the store for support.
Store owners:
- Upsell if need be through sales personnel
- See if customers can buy multiple furniture types
- Cross-sell on the spot
- Create a rapport with the customer and offer specials
- Convert customers from browsing to buying in real-time
- Lesser return incidents
However, not all is good. There are some problems associated with buying furniture offline. These include:
- Limited options due to space constraints—no store can have all the options on display
- The requirement to visit the store for purchase and support
- Travel time from one store to another
- In the current times, problems with contracting infections from others at the store
- Advertising, retail space and staff salaries drive up costs
Offline stores provide an unmatched experience. With customers browsing through products and buying in real-time, purchase confidence is high and as the customer has seen and purchased the product, rejection rates are lower when compared to online counterparts.
Purchasing furniture online
Purchasing furniture online evolved from stores like IKEA and others that offered a mail-in catalogue where customers could check what they wanted from their book, disc or website and then come to the store to experience the furniture they like before buying it. By comparing catalogues, customers could see various items side by side and pick the one they like the most.
Online shopping solves the problem of limited options and choice.
Customers benefit from:
- Virtually unlimited choice
- Virtual customizations help in visualization of the final product
- Comparative shopping websites can sort and filter products according to requirements, budget and customizability
- No need to visit stores for purchase, support or delivery and installation
- Lower prices than offline stores
- Specials, offers and advertisements can be done on the website itself, lowering costs manifold
Store owners benefit from:
- No retail space or sales staff requirements lower monthly expenses, which are directly transferred to customers
- Customers do not need to walk into a store. You can have a warehouse anywhere in the city and ship to your customers from there
- Sales, support and logistics can be handled by third parties, reducing headaches.
However, not all is well with an online furniture purchase. Customers want choice, but this comes at a price:
- High return rates as customers might not like the delivered product
- Heightened logistics and reverse logistics costs
- Costs to maintain support lines
- Impulsive shopping and returns can eat away the margin
- Sales volume must be high to rake in profits
As you can see, the best of the lot are stores that can offer a blend of online and offline shopping which can reduce return rates, enhance customer satisfaction and rake up volumes, especially during the festive season. For offline stores, not being on an online platform will result in extremely low footfalls and a loss of up to 80% in possible customer traffic. Offline stores must embrace digital technology to stay abreast of the times and offer better pricing along with convenience and quality.
At Volumetree, we understand the problems faced by both customers and stores that have not yet jumped the internet bandwagon. Do not get left behind! Get your store online today to ensure that customers who are not stepping out due to time, budget or other constraints along with a fear of getting infected can shop from their homes, uninhibited. Schedule a consultation with one of our experts today!




mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa: buying from online mexican pharmacy – mexican mail order pharmacies
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexico pharmacy
mexican pharmaceuticals online: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – buying prescription drugs in mexico online
medication from mexico pharmacy [url=https://northern-doctors.org/#]mexican northern doctors[/url] mexican rx online
purple pharmacy mexico price list: northern doctors – mexican pharmaceuticals online
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexico drug stores pharmacies
medicine in mexico pharmacies: mexican northern doctors – mexico drug stores pharmacies
purple pharmacy mexico price list: northern doctors pharmacy – mexico drug stores pharmacies
https://northern-doctors.org/# mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
buying prescription drugs in mexico online: Mexico pharmacy that ship to usa – mexican drugstore online
https://northern-doctors.org/# buying prescription drugs in mexico online
medication from mexico pharmacy: northern doctors pharmacy – mexican pharmaceuticals online
mexican pharmacy: mexican pharmacy online – mexico drug stores pharmacies
pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa [url=https://northern-doctors.org/#]mexican northern doctors[/url] mexican mail order pharmacies
http://northern-doctors.org/# buying prescription drugs in mexico online
brand divalproex 250mg – depakote usa purchase topamax without prescription
http://cmqpharma.com/# п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
purple pharmacy mexico price list
pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa [url=https://cmqpharma.online/#]online mexican pharmacy[/url] mexico pharmacy
mexico drug stores pharmacies
https://cmqpharma.online/# mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
mexican rx online
best online pharmacies in mexico [url=https://cmqpharma.online/#]mexican online pharmacy[/url] reputable mexican pharmacies online
mexican pharmacy: online mexican pharmacy – mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
mexican rx online [url=https://cmqpharma.online/#]mexican pharmacy online[/url] п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
reputable mexican pharmacies online [url=http://cmqpharma.com/#]mexican pharmacy[/url] mexico drug stores pharmacies
medicine in mexico pharmacies [url=https://cmqpharma.online/#]medicine in mexico pharmacies[/url] reputable mexican pharmacies online
mexico pharmacy [url=https://cmqpharma.com/#]mexican pharmacy[/url] mexican drugstore online
It is not my first time to go to see this web site,
i am browsing this website dailly and get pleasant data from here daily.
mexican rx online [url=https://cmqpharma.online/#]mexican online pharmacy[/url] mexican pharmaceuticals online
disopyramide phosphate buy online – order generic thorazine 50 mg purchase chlorpromazine without prescription
Only a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw outstanding pattern. “Justice is always violent to the party offending, for every man is innocent in his own eyes.” by Daniel Defoe.
http://cmqpharma.com/# pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
best online pharmacies in mexico
mexican drugstore online [url=https://cmqpharma.com/#]mexican online pharmacy[/url] mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
buy aldactone tablets – purchase aldactone pill order revia 50mg generic
cyclophosphamide drug – atomoxetine generic vastarel oral
Ultimately what matters is your green line, which is the red line and blue line combined to make your overall winnings. Also in the works for 2023 are country-specific events. This feature will then expand to allow anyone to create a club and host their own competitions. Players can battle it out with others like they’re playing in a club competition or round-robin tournament. The moves come as Match Poker Online continues to “sportify” poker. The World Cup and these other additional offerings only add to these efforts. When it comes to playing poker at online casinos, video poker games reign supreme. As soon as you start playing Game King Video Poker, you’ll soon learn why and being able to play more games at once means you’ll also be able to increase your winnings. When it comes to playing poker at online casinos, video poker games reign supreme. As soon as you start playing Game King Video Poker, you’ll soon learn why and being able to play more games at once means you’ll also be able to increase your winnings.
http://www.pfoten-junkies.de/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6992
This Texas holdem poker app for iOS promises exciting poker gaming on your iPhone. It has features that ooze the real thrill of iGaming entertainment. Besides, it allows you to advance with your basic poker chips and eventually buy your way to the high-stakes table. This app hooks you with great single-hand online poker hands and professional poker tournaments. Besides, you can leverage the happy hour texas holdem poker bonus to improve your poker payouts when you win real money gambling. JACKPOT SIT & GO TOURNAMENTS You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Below, we’ve assembled a list of the top UK poker sites. They represent the best places to find games and tournaments — at any time of day or night.
I relish, lead to I discovered exactly what I used to be taking a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
Some genuinely select articles on this site, saved to bookmarks.
buy cyclobenzaprine medication – enalapril where to buy enalapril 10mg pills
ondansetron brand – kemadrin online ropinirole online buy
ascorbic acid 500mg canada – isordil for sale online cheap compro without prescription
buying from online mexican pharmacy: cmq pharma mexican pharmacy – buying prescription drugs in mexico online
best online pharmacies in mexico
http://cmqpharma.com/# mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs
mexican drugstore online
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs
https://cmqpharma.online/# mexican pharmaceuticals online
pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
purchase durex gel online cheap – cheap latanoprost xalatan over the counter
Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a risky determination great post! .
mexico drug stores pharmacies
http://cmqpharma.com/# mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa
reputable mexican pharmacies online
mexico drug stores pharmacies: cmq mexican pharmacy online – mexican pharmacy
buying from online mexican pharmacy: mexican online pharmacy – buying from online mexican pharmacy
cheap generic minoxidil – buy generic rogaine order proscar online cheap
Low-deposit casinos are a great win-win situation for both the platform and the users. They make it easier for newbies to get going by lowering the deposit amount and allowing existing players to enjoy the game with less of their funds staked. Using one of these casinos may be the best route if you want a great way to enjoy various online games with small stakes in a safe, secure, and entertaining environment. Choosing an online casino is a serious business and with the vast volume of payout statistics floating around the web for the top casinos on the internet, there’s no excuse for not doing your homework. One of the most reliable statistics available is the average percentage payout. Monitored monthly by independent experts like eCOGRA and often published via links in the footer of casino webpages, these reflect the percentage of player wagers returned as winnings during the period. The occasional big winner is another sure sign of a high paying casino in Canada.
https://help.orrs.de/user/gronquerestti1974
The romish topic that is played separately. The chassis who wants to bet big to win big.In twist, all the holding players interact Korean Peninsula the persuasive online casinos casinosisAlso visit my web-site no deposit casino bonus keep winnings Sveriges bästa Casino Bonusar Esaurite queste promozioni iniziali è possibile comunque accedere alle altre promozioni del casinò. Tra queste ci sono i bonus ottenibili effettuando un deposito in un giorno specifico della settimana oppure i cashback sulle perdite subite. Esistono anche dei bonus, ma non sono più molto comuni, che si possono ottenere senza effettuare nessun deposito ma solo aprendo il conto ed inserendo tutti i dati richiesti. Maccabi Tel Aviv has decided to extend the contract of Cuban centre Jasiel Rivero for another season
arava 20mg oral – purchase actonel without prescription cartidin brand