Buying Furniture Online
The e-commerce industry has grown on an unprecedented scale in the past decade. What started with the idea of selling books via the internet has gradually taken over the offline buying and selling process. With e-commerce giants like Amazon offering its customers all that they might need, a change in consumer behaviour has been witnessed, and the majority of the people now prefer shopping online.
Realising this untapped market of selling furniture online, many start-ups have started with their online platform that caters to furniture buyers who are looking for online solutions. The diversity of consumers in India is enormous, and the needs of the buyers vary to a great extent. Some are looking for a decorative piece of furniture while many just want a generic one that serves their purpose.
One of the significant challenges that remain in this segment is the lack of ‘touch & feel’ experience of the furniture while buying. Some customers are very particular about the touch and feel of their furniture, and they require a demonstration before making a purchase. Companies are constantly focused on creating an experience centre for furniture buyers that will likely get them to purchase it online.
The offline vs online dilemma
One of the best things about buying furniture online is that you don’t have to waste your time by physically visiting multiple stores to find out the best product and the best deal. You just have to use your smartphone or laptop and navigate to the online furniture website. You can see and compare various types of furniture and pick one as per your liking by comparing the prices across multiple websites.
Those customers who are very particular about the touch and feel of the furniture are more accustomed to buying it offline as it provides them with a chance to experience the product. This is one of the major drawbacks of buying furniture online, but that doesn't imply that you can't have a fair knowledge about the furniture you are going to buy. The items listed on the online platform have a very descriptive product description along with high-resolution images that allow you to zoom in and feel the product. Some even come with videos!
Pros of buying furniture online
Some of the most prominent benefits of buying furniture online are mentioned below.
Product diversity
The best part about buying furniture online is that it offers a broad range of furniture to choose from and brings more diversity in design and making. The offline stores usually have a very limited collection and that too, with limited stocks. The offline stores have restricted space to hold large inventory.
Comparability
When buying furniture online, you can easily check the prices of the same product on multiple websites and buy the one that fits your budget. You can also compare the features of the product you are buying and pick a suitable one for your home. It also gives you a fair idea of the product price so that you get the best offer when buying.
Discount offers
The online furniture stores don’t need to pay rent for physical accommodation regularly. This lowers their overall expenses, and the benefits are often transferred to the consumers in the form of heft discount and other offers. They can easily afford to sell the furniture at a comparatively lower price.
Allows easy return
Customers are at times hesitant about buying furniture online as they fear it might not be the perfect size of quality. This problem is addressed using the easy return policy that the online furniture sellers offer. You can get a replacement if you aren’t satisfied.
Cons of buying furniture offline
Misleading descriptions
One of the major cons of buying furniture online is that you can’t have a touch and feel the experience and you have to rely on the product description and images. These images and descriptions at times might be misleading, but you can easily avoid this by purchasing from a trusted online brand.
Delivery charges & Return cost
Shipping charges might seem like an unnecessary addition to the product price when buying furniture online. Some companies have the policy to allow free shipping only when your order amount is above a given threshold. At times, the customer might need to bear the cost of return when they are not satisfied with the product delivered.
Where to buy?
In the contemporary scenario, customers are overwhelmed with multiple choices that they have. Knowing where to buy your furniture online is the key to making a prudent purchase decision. There are multiple well-known brands in the online furniture space, such as Pepperfry, Furlenco, Urban Ladder, Amazon, etc.
When purchasing from these well-known brands, you will not have to worry about any misleading descriptions or return policy. In addition to this, you will be offered the most affordable prices when making a purchase using these platforms. You can be sure to reap all the benefits of buying furniture online!
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