Today, several companies are adopting a hybrid work policy (a combination of WFH and remote working). This rising phenomenon might slightly cause a decrease in the demand for online shopping and furniture renting, however, “it is unlikely to disappear completely. The effect on the market will depend on how companies and consumers adapt to the changing work environment. If remote work becomes more common, then the demand for home office furniture and accessories will continue to grow. Additionally, the increased comfort and familiarity with online shopping and furniture renting may lead to more businesses. This could lead to increased competition in the market, which may result in lower prices and better quality products and services for consumers,” explains Tomar.
Image credit: AFC Furniture SolutionsAdditionally, Aggarwal points out product visibility as one of the most difficult challenges of selling furniture online. “You're more inclined to lose a consumer if they are having trouble perusing your product lines. We managed to overcome this challenge by making our customers' purchasing experience as simple as possible, including a visual search option where customers need to upload a picture of the product they want, and the software will take them to the product detail page.”
“If you are selling what you are showing on the website, there won't be any problems or challenges,” alludes an optimist Hora. Similarly, Saraf confirms, “When March 2020 saw the most significant drop in sales, I took an aggressive stance towards marketing and accentuated the online presence. With limited advertisers and an internet-dependent population, the brand saw a 200 per cent growth in sales and a proactive customer base.”
In a world of evolving digital transformation as it is today, the Indian furniture industry going online not only made the consumers’ shopping experience easier and quicker but it is also boosted the e-commerce sector and the overall growth of the furniture industry. Reports suggest, the Indian e-commerce market was valued at USD 25.7 billion as of FY20, having grown at a CAGR of over 35 per cent, and is expected to reach USD 99 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 27 per cent over a period of 2019-2024. The online furniture market has been rapidly expanding, and one of the key factors driving the segment's rapid expansion is the shift in consumer behaviour and attitude from offline to digital. “Furthermore, because the preference for buying online has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic, and companies are now calling staff back to the office, the demand for online shopping will grow even more,” affirms Aggarwal. On the other hand, Mistri believes, “With companies adopting a hybrid working model and encouraging workcations, multi-functional furniture suited to both home and office is still going to be in demand.” Experts also predict the rise of the omni-channel experience that will encompass virtual product and store tours, 360-view of the showroom and online consultancies.
Despite the cessation and/or continuation of WFH across the globe with the rising nativity of hybrid working, the need for comfortable and functional WFH furniture is growing in demand. And as the Indian furniture manufacturers are busy catering to this need, FDT looks forward to the significant growth of WFH furniture with more ergonomic functions, dynamic designs and revolutionary materials, thus breaking the confinement of traditional mediums.
This article is a part of our exclusive article ‘WFH Furniture’ which is originally published in Furniture Design & Technology (FDT Magazine) April 2023 print issue. If you want to read the full article, please subscribe Furniture Design & Technology Magazine here:
Furniture Design India and the magazine FURNITURE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY (FDT magazine) are from the trusted 22-year-old media house of SURFACES REPORTER and PLY REPORTER.
FDT is a B2B monthly bilingual magazine from India that shares the pulse of the furniture business in India and connects the manufacturers, OEMS, product designers, architects, showrooms, designers and dealers.
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