The real hurdle to competing with furniture e-commerce giants isn’t quality, service, or even convenience; it’s affordability. Furniture pricing will always be among the most influential factors affecting purchase decisions. For independent furniture retailers to compete with e-commerce giants, they must provide accessible, affordable financing options. By integrating professional brick-and-mortar furniture financing through UCFS, you can bridge the affordability gap, differentiate your furniture store, and level the playing field.
Leveraging Local to Compete with Online Retailers
For the independent retailer, beating out the big names in the furniture market can feel impossible. E-commerce giants like Wayfair, Pottery Barn, and Amazon dominate the industry with massive inventories and extensive digital presences. But while these “superstores” have the advantage of a huge digital footprint and the convenience of online platforms and payments, they can’t compete with the in-person, human experience that remains one of the most attractive features of shopping at a local furniture store.
Local furniture stores have many advantages over online mega-retailers:
- The Sit Test: When choosing a new piece of furniture, shoppers want a tactile experience. Feeling fabrics, testing mattress firmness, and actually sitting on what could be their next couch are huge draws for shoppers investing in new furniture — experiences that e-commerce can’t replicate.
- Expert Guidance: Consumers can (and often do) spend hours online comparing furniture specs, pricing, and styles. One advantage of local furniture stores is having a human expert to help sift through the overwhelming number of options. E-commerce stores provide generic recommendations based on the algorithm. Brick-and-mortar retailers offer value through the guidance of human expertise.
- Eliminating Shipping Anxiety: Local furniture stores differentiate themselves from online giants by offering a last-mile advantage. When a shopper purchases local, they don’t have to deal with the unknowns of online shopping: huge delivery windows, furniture boxes left unattended at the doorstep, assembling furniture themselves, or careless delivery. Local furniture retailers provide a white-glove setup and a better customer experience that shoppers want when investing hundreds or thousands in new home furnishings.
Compared with e-commerce giants, many independent furniture retailers see themselves as underdogs. In reality, they provide high-value local expertise and care that shoppers want. They simply need the right financial tools to close the pricing gap relative to online competitors.
Furniture Store Differentiation: Providing Furniture Financing to Beat Out Online Retailers
Furniture shoppers today face a staggering array of choices and competing brands. That’s why local retailers must differentiate themselves not only from other brick-and-mortar stores but also from online giants like Amazon, Walmart, Ikea and Wayfair.
To truly help a furniture store compete with online retailers, owners must bridge the affordability gap by offering professional consumer financing that mirrors (and exceeds) what is found online. Implementing financing positions your business as a full-service home partner, catering to customers’ financial needs and concerns while empowering them to buy the pieces they want on their timelines. Here’s how:
- Addressing the Affordability Perception: Online giants win when local prices feel too high. You can reframe this perception by leading with low monthly payments rather than a lump sum. Financing makes your inventory instantly more affordable, allowing customers to focus on the quality and feel of the furniture rather than the strain on their bank account.
- Promoting Furniture Upgrades: Without financing, a $2,500 sectional feels like a major financial blow; with financing, it’s just another monthly line item. Payment plans allow shoppers to upgrade their choices without the stress of a large lump-sum payment.
- Allowing for Immediate Purchase: Teaching sales staff to lead with financing early in the sales conversation increases the customer’s confidence and buying power before they even look at a price tag. When shoppers know they have accessible, affordable monthly payment options, they explore your showroom excited and ready to buy.
Brick-and-mortar furniture store financing gives local retailers a competitive advantage, helping attract more shoppers and close more deals.
Selling More with Brick-and-Mortar Furniture Financing from UCFS
Competing with (and beating out) online furniture goliaths is possible. With the right financing partner, furniture retailers can not only win customers from online mega-stores but also increase sales volume, boost profits, and deliver positive buying experiences that secure long-term customer relationships.
Partnering with the right consumer financing firm is essential to making the most of in-store furniture financing. United Consumer Financial Services, a Marmon company, a division of Berkshire Hathaway, provides conversion-driving financing that helps your furniture business thrive. When you implement financing from UCFS, you benefit from:
- Greater Average Order Values (AOV): Financing allows shoppers to easily add items to their purchases without the stress of paying in cash or charging a high-interest credit card. A low monthly payment plan allows a customer who came in for a sofa to leave with the matching ottoman and rug. Financing from UCFS helps increase AOVs without increasing business spending.
- Boosting Whole-Room Sales: For most consumers, buying even a single piece of furniture is a calculated investment; outfitting an entire room with new furniture isn’t even an option. But with affordable financing options, local furniture retailers can boost whole-room sales by spreading the cost over 12, 24, or 36 months.
- Faster Application and Approval: UCFS takes a mobile-first approach to consumer financing; shoppers can apply from a tablet in-store — or even sitting on their new couch! Our team then sends a credit decision in just minutes, allowing retailers to close the deal while the customer is still in the showroom.
- High Approval Rates: If you want to increase sales across demographics, you need a financing program that caters to all customers. UCFS serves a broad range of credit profiles with high approval rates that translate to increased furniture sales.
- A Track Record of Excellence: United Consumer Financial Services brings nearly fifty years of experience and expertise to work for you. Financing through a partner like UCFS creates the foundation for a positive experience, making customers more likely to return for their next furniture purchase or room upgrade.
Conclusion: Winning the Market with Furniture Financing from UCFS
In the battle to help your furniture store compete with online retailers, you hold the high ground of quality, expert service, and community trust. However, even the best showroom experience can’t always overcome the hurdle of a high price tag. By leaning into the unique advantages of local furniture stores and offering professional brick-and-mortar furniture financing through UCFS, you bridge the gap between casual showroom browsing and scheduling home delivery.
Give your customers the power to buy today, and give your business the competitive edge over e-commerce giants. Contact UCFS to learn more about how our consumer financing programs can help grow your local furniture sales starting today.
