Online Modern Furniture Stores in Toronto vs Brick and Mortar Stores

Today’s furniture shoppers are more informed than ever before, which is a crucial fact to know. The internet lets them compare prices, read customer reviews, and browse countless pieces of furniture. This is why we will discuss online modern furniture stores in Toronto vs Brick and Mortar Stores and the difference between them. 

For your furniture business, this can be a double-edged sword. Customers are more likely to discover your store than ever before. In contrast, your competitors can be found, so you have to step up your game regarding online marketing.

Utilizing this opportunity will allow you to turn obstacles into opportunities. You will grow your customer base and leave your competition behind by fully embracing modern eCommerce methods. Hence, both online shoppers and in-store customers can benefit from this, as you can enhance the whole shopping experience.

It is greatly exaggerated that brick-and-mortar retail is dead. Despite the increase in e-commerce, brick-and-mortar stores continue to perform well compared to online retail, as many people still find the in-store shopping experience more appealing.

How To Take Advantage of Online and In-store Furniture Shopping?

Nearly every large brick-and-mortar retailer has a strong online presence in today’s market. Deciding whether or not to expand into online sales is less clear for small brick-and-mortar businesses. 

Because most people tend to search for businesses online, your business should always have an online presence. Even if that means having a Facebook page or simply a website that contains your contact information and a brief description of what you offer.

There is no need to go through the trouble and expense of setting up your e-commerce website if you decide to sell your products online. Selling through an Amazon store, Facebook storefront, or even eBay is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to sell online.

Building long-term relationships with your customers by providing excellent customer service is the best way to compete with online stores, regardless of whether you have an online presence. People like to feel familiar. Receiving friendly service from the sales staff, having a friendly interaction with them, or demonstrating that they are being taken care of will keep customers coming back.

A good salesperson in a clothing store, for example, can be extremely helpful to a customer by offering advice on appearance, sizing, mixing and matching articles of clothing, and assisting with fitting, care, and maintenance. In the absence of customer assistance or the ability to try on an item beforehand, an online clothes shopper has no other recourse than to order an item and hope it fits and is suitable, otherwise returning the item.

Which Furniture Store is Best For You: Offline or Online?

Despite the good and bad of online furniture shops, we believe you can benefit from it if you pay close attention to a few details. Always look at the reviews associated with the product to determine if it meets your quality expectations. Also, read the product description to determine how it is designed and needs to be maintained. Consider another online brand, online store, or go offline if you cannot find any relevant information that demonstrates the quality of the product.

If the manufacturing brand is an offshore company, you can avoid hidden costs, high prices, or disappearances of products. In the second step, look at shipping and return shipping charges (if the product is damaged or different from what you expected). Ideally, you should also consider the delivery time and route. Ensure that you carefully examine the return policy to learn under what circumstances you can return the product delivered to you. Do you need to handle the product shipped back to the supplier, or will the supplier come and collect it?

You can also contact the supplier directly (through chat, phone calls, emails, or messages) if the help section of the online store does not provide the information you need. For more information regarding the products and the policies, you can also look into the customer service section. If you cannot reach them, consider trying another provider or visiting an offline store.

How Should Furniture Stores Move Forward?

In other words, how will furniture stores specifically respond to brick and mortar versus online Toronto furniture stores and consumer demands? To do this, retailers can encourage customers to advertise online: by asking customers to use hashtags, post photos of their furniture, etc. Retailers might even give discounts in exchange for their help in spreading the word.

Some stores can strike a balance between online and offline sales. They offer online furniture browsing and ordering, followed by in-store furniture pickup. Last but not least, retailers can react by creating a store that does more than sell products. Add things like a play area for children or a place to relax and drink coffee if you have the space. Therefore, the retail area becomes more social space, making consumers feel more comfortable.

What should you know about e-commerce?

In general, eCommerce is all about selling goods and services online to customers worldwide. Amazon elevated eCommerce to an art form even though it has existed for a long time.

The impact Amazon has had on eCommerce can’t be overstated. Their studies used tools to influence shopping habits, such as predictive algorithms. At the same time, however, they did something even more fundamental. They reshaped how consumers shop!

In Conclusion

Do brick and mortar still exist, or are they dying? Not! However, the industry is evolving, and stores that fail to evolve are the first to fail while more innovative stores succeed. The convenience of online shopping will never go away. Despite this, brick-and-mortar stores can achieve the best of both worlds if they can combine the conveniences and charm of in-store shopping with the conveniences and charm of online shopping. Marketing and selling furniture using an omnichannel approach is the key to the future of retail! Are you interested in experiencing better online modern furniture? Contact us, and you will not regret it.