In 2020, the furniture industry saw intense market fluctuations and pandemic-related challenges. Those challenges, however, were faced head-on in the years that followed and we’re thrilled with the overall growth of the industry.
As spring quickly approaches, we thought we’d share the top three retail furniture trends we’re loving in 2022 so far!
In 2022 alone, the revenue of online household furniture is $57.8 billion and is expected to grow 4.1%. This growth represents a faster increase than the overall online retail sector and indicates there may be a demand for furniture sales specifically.
Statista reports a correlation between the incredibly strong housing market and the increase in furniture sales across the board. Despite delays in the supply chain, customers are continuing to consider furniture and house furnishings as an important part of their spending budget.
Brick and mortar furniture stores live on in a big way! In-store sales are expected to increase by 3%, and while this doesn’t quite match the online furniture sale growth, stores can take advantage of a strong ecommerce solution to help increase their online and offline sales at the same time.
Just about anything can be purchased online, and because of that, it’s hard for traditional retailers not to feel pressure from ecommerce giants like Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair, and international players like Urban Ladder. We’ve seen massive retail chains close or significantly downsize their brick-and-mortar business, but for furniture retailers, the store experience is a key part of the shopping experience — and we're confident that’s here to stay.
Conventional furniture retailers have significant advantages from their brick-and-mortar heritage to make them successful online. With the right technology, expertise, and guidance, local furniture businesses can take advantage of the industry’s growth.
Many customers browse in the store, before going home to complete their purchase online. Giving customers this omnichannel shopping experience opens opportunities for your business to close more deals.
Online shoppers still crave a personalized shopping experience, which is why optimizing your online content based on the shopper’s location can help drive business. Additionally, you can automatically locate shoppers and present them with targeted marketing, merchandising, and an accurate inventory.
Since the online shopping experience is evolving, there are ways to support the online shopping habits of your customers, including the ability to automatically share the location of local stores that have the product available, as well as delivery and pickup dates.
There was a time when furniture ecommerce had a bad reputation and retailers didn’t understand how it was worth the effort, but those days are behind us. Back in 2017, we predicted a shift to a positive view of ecommerce furniture sales, and now we’re seeing it happen.
At one time, furniture retailers averaged only 2% of their sales online. Now, many retailers are averaging closer to 10%, with some standouts even higher than that. It’s obvious — and great! — that those retailers have adapted to the change.
Furniture sales are predicted to gradually normalize as mortgage rates rise and the demand for furniture changes. However, the online furniture industry is a different story. One of Blueport’s clients, American Signature Inc., has been identified by Businesswire as a top player in the market, and we’re proud of their growth and their commitment to excellent online business practices, too!
While the furniture industry trends of 2022 will pass as new trends come into play, online furniture shopping isn’t going anywhere.
Getting ahead of competitors and taking advantage of online furniture sales opportunities is a crucial strategy to staying relevant within the furniture sales industry. Explore The Online Furniture Shopping Journey today and discover how buying furniture online continues to change.