What Sells: Piece by Piece

October 8, 2014  by in Industry   

The growth in e-commerce has given the ready to assemble furniture category a boost of late as the flat packing allows for easier shipping than traditional furniture.

And no one can argue with the success of Swedish retailer Ikea—multiple floors of modular, ready-to-build furniture in a variety of categories.

Traditional retailers say the channel of distribution has shifted of late away from mainstream furniture retailers. They lament that many suppliers of RTA have turned to big box discounters, successful e-tailers and office superstores as alternative partners.

Some traditional retailers, who typically had been selling ready-to-assemble goods with the service of assembly, say the race to the bottom in pricing and lower overhead for online retailers makes it too hard to compete in the category.

 

Factoids

$2.77 billion

2014 YTD RTA sales

2.4%

Sales increase through first half of 2014 over same period last year

7.6%

RTA’s percentage of total industry sales through 2Q 2014

 

Retailers Say

Sauder's 411897 bookcase

"It is a great basic bookcase with flexibility on storage." Retail is $74.99.

Irv Blumkin

Nebraska Furniture Mart

Omaha, Neb.

 

Jesper’s Expandos

“Designed to offer a smaller footprint for multiple work settings, the Expandos shelves are available in three finish options.” Retail is $250 per L-shaped unit.

Andy Thornton

LaDIFF

Richmond, Va.

 

Suppliers Say

Naia by Tvilum

Tvilum’s Naia bedroom collection includes beds, nightstands, chests, sideboards and double dressers. Drawer fronts and doors are handle-free creating a stylish, timeless dimension.

The Cabot Collection from Bush Inds.

With a focus on function, durability and style, the Cabot collection is available in two finishes. The group offers storage with technology integration—both important features in the home office category. The L-shaped desk retails at around $400.

The Carson Forge Gourmet Cart from Sauder

As one of Sauder’s top sellers, the Gourmet Cart provides a versatile kitchen and dining piece. Crisscross storage, hanging hooks and wrought iron hardware offer sophisticated Mission styling. The piece is versatile enough to live in a variety of rooms.

Walker Edison’s Soreno L-shaped Desk

The Soreno L-shaped desk is a space-saving desk that can be used separately as two desks. The glass and metal construction blends with a variety of décors. A functional sliding tray allows for easy storage of bulky keyboards. Suggested retail is $119.