Out with the old!
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 23, 2004
Worn-out upholstery is the No. 1 driver for buying something new, according to the nearly 1,000 households that answered Furniture/Today's exclusive survey of upholstery buyers. That's not a huge surprise. Worrisome, though, is how long it takes consumers to decide their old upholstery is worn out. Almost one-third of the sofa buyers, for example, say their old one is 10 to 15 years old; nearly one-fifth are replacing a sofa that's more than 15 years old.
The good news is that about one-fifth say they're replacing their old upholstery because it "no longer fits my taste."
Mostly they're buying for the family room or great room — nearly three-fourths of the sectionals purchased will go there, and two-thirds of the motion sofas. Stationary sofas and loveseats go in a family room or a formal living room in almost equal numbers.
Furniture stores are the big winners when it comes to where upholstery is bought — between 65% and 83% of purchases, depending on the category.
The close ratios are best in furniture stores, too – 56 of every 100 consumers that shopped for upholstery in a furniture store actually made a purchase in a furniture store.
| Close ratios | |
|---|---|
| Furniture stores | 56% |
| Interior designers | 23 |
| Department stores | 18 |
| Discount department stores | 15 |
| Home improvement centers | 8 |
| Direct to consumer | 5 |
| Warehouse membership clubs | 3 |
But rumors that department stores are no longer players in furniture may have been premature. Department stores account for 9% of sectional sofa buys, 8% of stationary sofa and sofa-sleeper purchases, 6% of loveseat and stationary chair purchases and 3% of motion sofa buys.
The window of opportunity to grab consumers is relatively short — the majority spends three months or less shopping before they buy.
Delivery times are a consideration. More than half of the households surveyed say the maximum amount of time they're willing to wait for their new upholstery is four weeks or less. The good news is that nearly four-fifths of consumers actually received the upholstery in that time frame.
The maximum time they're willing to wait is not necessarily what they consider reasonable, however. Almost half of the group said two weeks or less is a reasonable time between order and delivery.
What features do they want in their new upholstery? The top considerations are comfort, durability and overall quality. What doesn't sway their purchase decision — at least not much — are the manufacturers' brand, point-of-sale materials at the store, and being able to take it home right away.
What should stores advertise to attract consumers? Judging by what factors consumers say influence their decisions about where to shop and buy, it's product selection, competitive prices and the store's reputation. They're not particularly concerned about financing options, coordinating accessories or the availability of interior designers.
Other opportunities for increased sales and customer satisfaction include fabric protection treatment and "performance" fabrics. Of the 44% of households that didn't purchase fabric protection, well over one-third said it wasn't offered as an option. One-fourth said they didn't see the value of fabric protection, and about one-third said they didn't need it. With stain-resistant fabrics and ease of maintenance rating very high on the list of important characteristics, promotions highlighting fabric protection and performance could provide good payoffs.
| Respondent profile | |
|---|---|
| Region | |
| Northeast | 22% |
| Midwest | 25% |
| South | 33% |
| West | 20% |
| Age | |
| Under 25 | 2% |
| 25 – 34 | 14% |
| 35 – 44 | 26% |
| 45 – 54 | 28% |
| 55 – 64 | 16% |
| 65 and over | 14% |
| Income | |
| Under $20,000 | 12% |
| $20,000 - $29,999 | 11% |
| $30,000 - $39,999 | 9% |
| $40,000 - $49,999 | 8% |
| $50,000 - $59,999 | 10% |
| $60,000 - $74,999 | 13% |
| $75,000 - $84,999 | 7% |
| $85,000 - $99,999 | 11% |
| $100,000 - $124,999 | 10% |
| $125,000 or more | 9% |
| Why are you shopping for/buying new upholstery? | |
|---|---|
| Old furniture is worn out | 50% |
| Redecorating | 24% |
| Old furniture no longer fits my taste | 21% |
| Old furniture is stained/dirty | 17% |
| New home/apartment | 14% |
| Need additional pieces to go with what I already have | 9% |
| Don't have furniture for this room | 8% |
| Need an extra sleeping surface | 7% |
| What other furnishings did you buy/are you planning to buy for the room you put your upholstery in? | |
|---|---|
| Multiple response | |
| End table(s) | 31% |
| Decorative pillow(s) | 29% |
| Cocktail/coffee table | 28% |
| Paint/wallpaper | 25% |
| Table lamp(s) | 25% |
| Window treatment | 25% |
| Area rug(s) | 22% |
| Entertainment center | 17% |
| Carpet | 16% |
| Floor lamp(s) | 16% |
| Other art for the wall | 16% |
| Throw(s) | 13% |
| Reasonable amount of time between order and delivery? | |
|---|---|
| What is the maximum amount of time you are willing to wait? | |
| Less than a week | 1% |
| One week | 8% |
| Two weeks | 16% |
| Three weeks | 10% |
| Four weeks | 20% |
| Five or six weeks | 17% |
| Seven to nine weeks | 14% |
| Ten or more weeks | 14% |
| What was the actual time you waited? | |
| Less than a week | 28% |
| One week | 22% |
| Two weeks | 13% |
| Three weeks | 8% |
| Four weeks | 8% |
| Five or six weeks | 10% |
| Seven to nine weeks | 7% |
| Ten or more weeks | 4% |
