When is the best time to buy furniture online?

Now is the time for furniture retailers to act on digital — because the future of furniture is online. Sign up now for the Retail Customer Experience newsletter and get the top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Who are the young people buying furniture online?

As you might expect, younger consumers are spearheading the webrooming trend, with millennials and Gen X leading the way. With this buying segment continuing to grow, signs point toward an embrace of convenience and a growing appetite for online furniture purchases as well.

Are there any problems in the furniture industry?

Among them, furniture retailers are finding it particularly difficult as many have been slow to adapt to the effects e-commerce has had on their industry. Yet, despite these challenges, industry experts agree that traditional home furnishing providers should not be dissuaded as the opportunities presented by online sales far outweigh any headaches.

Is there a barrier to entry for furniture retailers?

Those furniture retailers who have faced the challenge head on are finding that today’s technology provides a low barrier to entry for the uninitiated. Modern tools have made it easy to not only develop an online presence, but also to showcase merchandise, handle fulfillment, and meet consumers where they are to draw them into the store.

When did the old room furniture store close?

The company dodged liquidation in 2000 when its parent company Heilig-Meyers filed for bankruptcy. But the business did end up filing for Chapter 11 in 2011, and its remaining stores closed the following year. A shot from an old Room Store commercial.

What’s the future of retail in the furniture industry?

See related: 5 innovations propelling the furniture industry into the future Newton notes that a solid online presence will lead not only to remote sales, but to a stronger brick-and-mortar strategy. If customers have had good experiences preshopping your online offerings, they’ll come into your store pre-qualified and ready to buy.

What was the sales of furniture in 2015?

Furniture and home furnishings stores generated about 106.78 billion U.S. dollars worth of sales in 2015. Home ownership, another important factor contributing to home goods demand is increasing as employment levels rebound.

How did the Internet change the furniture industry?

“The Internet took the furniture industry by surprise when customers were buying furniture without checking the sit appeal, but actually having the item in a store for a customer to sit on and get the whole feel—scale, size and comfort—is clearly an advantage.