Those wanting to be successful in the furniture sector over the long term must take online trade into consideration – a point on which trade experts agree. After all, growth in the online furniture trade means a considerable redistribution away from stationary trade. This is especially important since the coronavirus crisis further accelerated the shift of furniture trade toward an online business, as the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) found out in a joint study with the Association for Modern Kitchens (AMK).

In November 2020, the sector association put the online share for the furniture trade at around 18 percent. This figure could grow to 25 percent over the next four years, estimates VDM CEO Jan Kurth and explains: “The corona-dictated retreat to one’s home results in a lively demand for furniture.”

This currently benefits the well-known online furniture retailers such as Westwing and home 24, who are enjoying the boom. “This will be a sustainable trend,” predicts Marc Appelhoff, head of home 24 in a statement to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. Even the industry giant IKEA, previously predominantly active in stationary trade, recorded a share of online business of 16.2 percent, compared to 9.4 percent the previous year.

Still, the development of online sales in the furniture sector is lagging behind the growth rates experienced by other consumer goods sectors. There are numerous reasons for this, such as the frequent lack of consumer-friendly delivery and return options or a convincing product visualization.

Thus, manufacturers and retailers must work on overcoming these hurdles if they want to secure a slice of the cake over the long term.

Enable products to be experienced digitally

Furthermore, plastics offer the furniture industry a wide range of design options. PLEXIGLAS®, for example, possesses a wide range pf colors and surfaces, it can easily be combined with lighting and can be printed. This diversity could play a stronger role in future purchasing decisions – through an improved digital product experience using augmented reality and virtual reality.

According to the market overview “The German furniture industry” by PricewaterhouseCoopers, this technology could someday become the standard, as it allows customers to view furniture and other furnishings virtually from home. After all, it is of course not possible to feel materials online – still one of the biggest challenges to the online furniture trade.

But augmented reality and virtual reality not only make it possible to visualize pieces of furniture in the customer’s own living room – it is also possible to try out a wide range of materials and configure the piece of furniture exactly to one’s own taste. This is a convenient alternative to the hustle and bustle of a furniture store – not only during the coronavirus pandemic.