There’s no denying that the advent of internet shopping has revolutionized the modern retail market.
You can literally have anything you want delivered right to your doorstep, making refurnishing your house is a breeze, if you have a good sense of the ins and outs of online shopping.
Here is a list of our top 10 things to consider when beginning your search for furniture online:
Know What You’re Looking For
Seems simple right? But this key step may be more intimidating than you expect, because the online market is vast, and there’s a chance you’ll be quickly overwhelmed by a huge selection of inventory, textures, styles, colours and price. Knowing ahead of time what you’re looking for regarding size and style can significantly help you to lower your search times and make your selections based on what you really want.
Measure Your Space
In line with our first friendly tip, measuring your space for furniture that will compliment your space is key to making the process an enjoyable one. Because you’re shopping from home you won’t be able to physically gauge the size of your new furniture, and pictures can be deceiving - Measuring your current furniture, room dimensions, and door wells can alleviate the stress and what-if’s of internet shopping and ensure you are selecting the right size of furniture.
Look For Store Reviews
Make sure you deal with a retailer you can trust. While a few bad shopper reviews may just lead to an unfortunate customer experience, you should be looking for a furniture store with good customer satisfaction ratings. Some sources for reviews are a company's Google + page, Yelp and the company's Facebook page.
Call the Retailer
Speak to a human being and make sure they have a brick and mortar retail shop. Most reputable retailers will have a storefront and will also deal with the general public.
Materials
Make sure you’re getting a quality product by reading into the furniture’s materials. Know the difference between a genuine leather and a bonded leather; synthetic replica wood, particle board, etc. Your knowledge of materials will determine which prices are appropriate to your selections and will help you to get the product you want.
Study the Photos
Purchasing directly from a retailer usually means they’ll have photos and listings of pieces that are in their showrooms. Take this opportunity to study the furniture for cosmetic defects – little scratches, fading, cracking in the leather, etc. You can save yourself a lot of time and money by taking a good hard look, rather than scanning over the photo when you see a price you like.
Be Leery of Colours
The downfall of online shopping could be a miniscule problem with your computer, or the retailer’s camera distorting colour. If you’re buying a darker hue of furniture, like a black or brown leather, you’re probably in the clear, but a cream, or grey piece for example, may be slightly different than the picture you’ve been looking at.
Assembly
If you’re buying a living room set that consists of couches and chairs, you won’t have much setup to do, but ordering a dresser, chest, shelving unit or bedframe may require you to set up the piece yourself. Make sure you have the appropriate tools (usually a screwdriver, or Allen key set) before you take delivery.
Shipping
There are many ways to take delivery of your new furniture.
- Front Door delivery – Usually the cheapest option, they deliver your purchase to your door and let you do the heavy lifting.
- Inside Delivery – Usually includes the heavy lifting and maneuvering into your home and can be particularly beneficial if you live in an apartment building.
- "White Glove” delivery – The VIP package of furniture delivery and usually includes moving the piece into your room of choice, unpacking the furniture and occasionally setting it up for you as well.
- Pick-up – Perhaps you’ve got a friend or relative that can help you pick up the furniture in-store. This saves you shipping costs, but requires you to do all the grunt work yourself.
Don’t Get Caught Up In Brand Names
Don’t get caught up looking for a specific make or model – everything is a reiteration of something else. Instead, entrust your brand appeal to the retailer. You’ve selected them for a reason and you should feel confident that you’re buying a quality product from a retailer that’s going to take care of your interests.
Online shopping can make your purchase an easy, enjoyable experience if you follow these tips and tricks. Make sure you feel good about your retailer, your choice of product, and your costs. Happy shopping!