Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Consumer spending on furniture, 2010-20
- The market by segment
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- Figure 2: Consumer spending on furniture, by segment, 2015 (est)
- How much spending is going online?
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- Figure 3: Market shares by furniture retailer, 2014 (est)
- Innovation
- The consumer
- ABs and 16-34s buy furniture most frequently
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- Figure 4: Furniture purchases in the last three years, August 2015
- Living room furniture purchased most recently
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- Figure 5: Most recent furniture purchases in the last three years, August 2015
- The internet is a favourite place for getting ideas
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- Figure 6: Looking for ideas, August 2015
- More purchasing in-store than online
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- Figure 7: Channels used for most recent furniture purchase, browsing and buying, August 2015
- Tipping points in the decision process
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- Figure 8: Factors influencing the actual decision, August 2015
- Attitudes towards buying furniture
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards buying furniture, August 2015
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- Figure 10: Customer typologies when buying furniture, August 2015
- Shopping preferences
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- Figure 11: Preferred methods in the buying process for furniture, browsing, August 2015
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- Figure 12: Preferred methods in the buying process for furniture, speaking to staff, August 2015
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- Figure 13: Preferred methods in the buying process for furniture, catalogues and reviews, August 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Will more furniture purchases involve online shopping?
- The facts
- The implications
- What innovations are likely to affect the way people shop for furniture?
- The facts
- The implications
- What are the strengths and weakness of online or in-store shopping?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Growth in furniture spending
- Upholstery is 26% of the market
- Smartphones and PCs driving online shopping
- Buoyant housing market
- 5.2 million UK homes rented privately
- Growth in household numbers
Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 14: Consumer spending on furniture and furnishings, 2010-20
- Figure 15: Consumer spending on furniture and furnishings, 2010-20
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Segment Performance
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- Large and diverse market
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- Figure 16: Consumer spending on furniture, by category, 2015 (est)
Market Drivers
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- Personal technology ownership
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- Figure 17: Personal technology ownership, by age, April 2015
- Revival for residential housing sales
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- : Figure 18: Property transactions, UK, December 2013-August 2015
- Home improvements
- The buy-to-let effect
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- Figure 19: Housing tenure, UK, June 2015
- House prices rise fastest in London
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- Figure 20: House prices by region, UK, 2013-14
- 4.7% more households 2015-20
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- Figure 21: UK households, by size, 2010-20
Channels to Market
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- Market shares by retailer
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- Figure 22: Market shares by furniture retailer, 2014 (est)
- Category specialists play a huge role in furniture retailing
- General furniture retailers
- Intensifying competition for furniture
- Other competitors
- Shopping from home or on the move
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- Figure 23: Online furniture specialists, 2015
- Independents
Innovation and Launch Activity
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- Cloudtags tracks the in-store journey
- Wearable technology
- Ikea’s augmented reality
- B&Q’s design app
- 3D printing
- DFS uses iPads in-store
- Argos goes digital
- Mobile payments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- ABs and 16-34s are the most active shoppers for furniture
- Highest volumes in living and bedroom
- Browsing often begins online
- More in-store than online purchasing
- 16-34s heavily influenced by online shopping
- Attitudes vary with age
- People enjoy browsing online and in-store
- Four main shopper clusters
- Customer journey preferences
Furniture Purchases in the Last Three Years
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- Figure 24: Furniture purchases in the last three years, August 2015
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- Figure 25: Most recent furniture purchases in the last three years, August 2015
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Looking for Ideas
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- Online browsing influences half of purchasers
- People restrict the number of shops they visit
- Making use of online advice and comments
- Expert reviews please
- Brochures popular with wealthier
- Least experienced shoppers ask for advice
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- Figure 26: Looking for ideas, August 2015
Channel Used for Last Furniture Purchase
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- 54% browsed online, 30% browsed in-store
- More people go on to buy in-store
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- Figure 27: Bought in-store or online, by age, August 2015
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- Figure 28: Channels used for most recent furniture purchase, browsing and buying, August 2015
- Little variation by room
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- Figure 29: Channels used for most recent furniture purchase, by room, August 2015
- Tipping points when buying furniture
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- Figure 30: Factors influencing the actual decision, August 2015
Attitudes Influencing Buying Furniture
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- Figure 31: Attitudes towards buying furniture, August 2015
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- Figure 32: Attitudes towards buying furniture, agree, by age and socio-economic group, August 2015
- Four target groups
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- Figure 33: Customer typologies when buying furniture, August 2015
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- Figure 34: Bought online or in-store by target group, August 2015
- Social Smartphoners
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- Figure 35: Customer typologies when buying furniture, Social Smartphoners target group, August 2015
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- Figure 36: Customer typologies when buying furniture, Touchers target group, August 2015
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- Figure 37: Customer typologies when buying furniture, Onliners target group, August 2015
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- Figure 38: Customer typologies when buying furniture, Service Seekers target group, August 2015
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Preferences in the Buying Process
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- Figure 39: Preferred methods in the buying process for furniture, August 2015
- Online stands out for getting ideas
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- Figure 40: Preferred method for getting ideas, August 2015
- Best way to get advice is speak to staff in-store
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- Figure 41: Preferred method for getting advice, August 2015
- Stores are best for viewing items
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- Figure 42: Preferred way to view items, August 2015
- Stores stand out as the best place to judge quality
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- Figure 43: Preferred way to judge quality, August 2015
- They judge comfort in-store without speaking to staff
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- Figure 44: Preferred method for judging comfort, August 2015
- Looking in-store is just ahead of online for choosing colours
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- Figure 45: Preferred method for choosing colours, August 2015
- Online is just ahead for getting size details
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- Figure 46: Preferred method for getting size details, August 2015
- Online just wins out for planning
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- Figure 47: Preferred method for designing plans, August 2015
- People are divided about the best place to get quotes
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- Figure 48: Preferred method for getting quotes, August 2015
- Split opinions for online and in-store for making payments
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- Figure 49: Preferred method for making payment, August 2015
- Credits arrangement are of no interest to 38%
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- Figure 50: Preferred method for arranging credit, August 2015
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Market sizing and segment performance
- Fan chart forecast
- Abbreviations
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