A comprehensive report on the profile of a modern furniture shopper

What do today’s furniture shoppers want? 

In an industry-first, Furniture News, supported by Chaos Cylindo, presents a comprehensive report on how UK consumers shop for furniture — both in-store and online — and the changes they’d like to see.

The Profile of a Modern Furniture Shopper shares the findings of a new consumer survey conducted by market research consultancy Savanta and offers crucial insights into UK furniture shopping trends. 

The report also explores the increasingly important role of technologies like 3D product visualization in the buying process.

The participants: UK furniture shoppers

The survey included a sample of 1,000 UK adults from January 31 to February 2, 2024, covering a representative spread of age, gender, location, profession of chief earner, and social grade.

The topic: What do today’s furniture shoppers want?

Shoppers, like businesses, come in countless shapes and sizes, but there are patterns and trends to be found in their behavior, and the retailer who better understands these will be better placed to succeed than the one who does not.

This report aims to answer questions about the kind of shopping experiences that consumers are more receptive to, the impact of different technologies on in-store and online shopping, and the future of brick-and-mortar stores and pure-play websites.

It also explores the factors influencing purchasing decisions, product demand, and desired changes in the furniture shopping experience.

The report attempts to answer the following questions, and more:

• What kind of shopping experiences will younger generations be more receptive to?
• Which technologies are more likely to prove beneficial, in-store and online?
• How do men and women feel differently about furniture shopping?
• Is there a future for brick-and-mortar stores or pure-play websites, and what kind of hybrid experience are shoppers looking for?
• What approaches are persuading shoppers to buy — and putting them off?
• Which product areas are set to see the highest demand, and at what prices?

The highlights

You can download the report here to read the complete findings. Below are some key insights.

• 68% had purchased a piece of furniture in the last year.
• More than two-thirds (68%) go online as part of the shopping process, with 30% preferring to make the purchase digitally.
• Over the next three years, shoppers are prioritizing purchases for the bedroom (67%), living room (66%), garden (57%), and kitchen (56%).
• The furniture buyer’s journey is omnichannel — consumers enjoy furniture shopping through a mix of brick-and-mortar and online channels. 
• Nearly a third (30%) of those aged 25-34 said better visuals would prompt them to spend more than they might have otherwise.
• Most (91%) people said encountering ‘poor imagery’ frustrated them, and this frustration was most pronounced among 18-24-year-olds (96%).