Back in the day, shopping for furniture meant walking into a local store, looking through the available options and walking away with your preferred item. Through traditional ads, you could get a chance to glance at the available products before going to the store to make the purchase but this was the only way to shop.
Even with the evolution and establishment of online furniture stores, a significant number of buyers stick to the ‘buying locally’ norm. The benefit of this option is that it offers one an opportunity to see, touch, and interact with the product they are purchasing. That’s the reason why stores like https://www.designermarketplacemn.com are quite popular and successful.
Granted, both in-store and online furniture shopping have their pros and cons. What you decide ultimately depends on your needs, preferences, and size of your bank account. Here, we have put together a guide to help you know when online furniture stores make more sense than buying locally.
1.When You Want A Myriad Of Designs To Choose From
It is no secret: online furniture stores are known for their vast furniture selections. Just take a quick look at any online furniture website and you will be lost for choice. If you are the kind that wants to glance at tens if not hundreds of furniture design, even those that have never crossed your mind, then online stores are ideal for you. You will have a vast amount of options to choose from at the comfort of your home—a fact that is absent in a physical store.
2.When Saving Money Is A Priority
When you purchase furniture locally, you’ll not only pay the actual retail price of the item but taxes as well. It has to do with middlemen. On the opposite side of the spectrum, since furniture is often delivered to the store directly by the manufacturer, you pay no taxes while shopping for furniture online. You also save some money that would have otherwise been used as transportation as you hop from one local shop to the other.
In addition, you can get awesome discounts, promotions, and sales with online shopping.
Sure, you can score a few deals here and there when shopping offline but if you really want to push the button further, shopping online is the way to go. A good number of online furniture stores are always running offers. Sometimes it is coupons, coupon codes, and discount codes while in other times, it is a simple promotional offer. By looking through different furniture websites, you can easily land on a reputable store with amazing items sold at unbelievable prices.
3.When You Need To Plan Your Space
The other important reason why many people prefer shopping for their furniture online rather than locally is that it gives them an opportunity to plan their spaces accordingly.
You can scour through the website to find all the information regarding the furniture piece of your choice. These include dimensions and geometrical specifications. Once you know these things, you can decide whether the product will fit into your space or not. This process can be made easier if you know the dimensions of your space in the first place. With a local store, you don’t have this luxury.
4.When You Want To Shop In Peace
When you walk into your local store with the goal of buying a furniture item, there’s pressure all around you. First from the overly aggressive sales lady looking to make a killing from you, and secondly, the internal pressure from deep within. There is also the person inside of you (your inner self) who is constantly pushing you to walk out of the door with that item or else, you will never find another one like that. With online stores, all this pressure is inexistent. You can take your time, explore all the selections, speak to as many experts as you please and make your decision in peace.
5.When You Want Convenience
This one is quite obvious. Shopping online saves you from wasting precious time hopping from one local store to the next in search of affordable and quality furniture pieces. Because let’s face it; there’s a high likelihood that you won’t get what you want in a single store. Online furniture stores, on the other hand, are quite convenient. First, you can shop anywhere and anytime. If you are up to it, transport can also be arranged right to your front door.
6.When You Want A Replacement Facility
Most online retail stores are dead serious about proving their credibility to their target customers. If you land on a good one, they should have a replacement and exchange policy for a specified period of time (usually 15 days). If you need replacement or exchange within this period, they’ll be happy to do it. Others actually have a 100% money-back guarantee with a free pick up of the furniture item from either your home or office. Local stores aren’t too big on this. Granted, some have this policy but that constitutes a very small percentage of them.
7.When You Want An Effective Customer Service
We would be lying if we said that the customer service in all local stores leaves much to be desired. Still, a good number of the customer service reps in these physical stores don’t necessarily prioritize the needs of the customer as they do closing the sale. Online stores have perfected their craft as far as customer service is concerned. They go above and beyond to make sure you are well taken care of before, during, and after making the order. Most of them have 24/7 customer service which means you can write, call, or text any time of day and you’ll be helped.
The decision of whether to buy furniture online or locally is ultimately yours to make. Go ahead and make an online purchase if you fit the description in this guide. Happy shopping!
