“People deeply appreciate the convenience of it, and not only from a COVID point of view.” “The van is a few yards outside their front door-they’re not even going onto the street,” says Willcock. market in 2019, founder Alex Willcock’s growth strategy was centered not on opening stores across America, but on a network of vans that contained a sofa for interested clients to test out while perusing brand books and fabric samples. When British upholstery brand Maker & Son brought its bespoke, all-organic sofa designs to the U.S. Some brands are arriving at a client’s home with more than just advice. “The van is a few yards outside their front door-they’re not even going onto the street” The model has proven so successful in recent months that the company has expanded with that setup to Atlanta, Dallas and Denver, and is targeting four additional markets by the end of the year-not as a way to circumvent opening stores, but to pave the way for new outposts. “They want someone to walk them through the buying process.” “They want to make sure they're buying the right piece because they're not able to go into a store to touch and feel,” says John. She soon discovered that while clients weren’t enthusiastic about in-store shopping, they were often willing to let a sales associate into their home. When the company's Philadelphia store opening was postponed in March, John decided to have the in-person sales staff the brand had hired start selling online, taking on primarily local clients. Maybe they can't touch and feel, they can get the overall impression of what that design will look like.” “We’ve found that the conversion is so much higher because now you're getting an entire design concept rather than a one-off sofa or chair. “We can show you how pieces you have will look with your new sofa in your living room using the same wall color you have, but adding our rugs and side tables,” says Interior Define’s chief marketing officer Jill John. They also frequently put together mood boards or room plans for clients that incorporated a customer’s existing pieces-a service that often leads to stronger sales. Its in-store sales team had always juggled in-person and online clients, with upwards of 40 to 50 percent of sales coming from virtual customers. Unlike many furniture retailers, Interior Define had already invested in cutting-edge technology, from visualization tools that show what a piece looked like throughout the upholstery customization process to an AR app that shows customers what a piece will look like in their own living rooms. And if that expert can actually see into their homes via a Zoom window? All the better.įor the digitally native furniture brand Interior Define, pivoting to online-only selling was a return to its roots. Unlike fashion, where people are more likely to trust their instincts, home shoppers often feel more at ease when they’re given design advice by an expert. These virtual programs tap into an open secret of the home industry: When customers shop for their furniture and decor, they’re not only questioning the product, they’re questioning their own taste as well. Those are always the ones who convert higher, buy more, are more engaged.” “They see the CAD drawing virtually, they go to the showroom to see the samples, and maybe the designer comes to their house to check one last thing. “The more opportunities we have to talk to a customer, the better,” says California Closets CMO Samara Toole. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to playĪs a result, even though a vaccine seems closer than ever and shoppers hope to soon venture out again, most companies are planning to keep going with their virtual offerings.
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