How to Open an Online Furniture Store

8 min read

When done correctly, furniture can be one of the most lucrative markets for retailers. The global furniture market is valued at over $500 billion and still growing. Furniture is something that everybody needs, and changing trends keep the market strong and healthy.

But starting a furniture business may not seem easy from the outside looking in. Most furniture items are bulky and heavy, making them difficult to store and ship to customers. While these challenges are real, it is still possible to run a successful furniture business online in 2023. Here is a simple guide on how to start a furniture store online.

How To Start An Online Furniture Store: Initial Considerations

Expenses

Managing a budget is crucial for any business. However, this is an especially crucial thing to consider when starting a furniture business. If you have limited funding early on, it can be difficult to find quality furniture items to sell. You may find that your options are fairly limited. Starting with a smaller inventory and gradually building up as your business grows is better than attempting everything at once.

Many furniture businesses also have to factor in the cost of storage and shipping. Both of these things can get pricey when dealing with bulky items. But there are ways to minimize this problem, such as dropshipping. Regardless of what methods you use, it is very important to factor in these costs when setting your budget.

Supply Chain and Storage

Storage is not just a budgeting concern. It’s also a practical issue that needs to be solved. If you are running a furniture business, you need to have someplace to keep your inventory stored where it will be safe and secure. For instance, if you are selling books or clothes online, you can get away with storing your inventory in your home. But this is not easy to do when selling furniture. Figuring out where, or how, to store your products is very important.

Choosing the right furniture manufacturer can help in this regard to some degree. Some manufacturers can take care of your storage and fulfillment concerns for you. At the very least, choosing the right manufacturer can make inventory management much less stressful as you manage your business.

Best Furniture to Sell Online

Your next concern may be about which furniture items to sell online. The trick to knowing what to sell is about finding items that are in high demand, and not impractical for high-volume shipping. Generally speaking, smaller furniture items will be better to sell online. But that does not mean you can’t sell beds or couches online. With that said, here are some of the best furniture items to sell online.

Bookshelves

Bookshelves are often lightweight and are usually not assembled before purchase. Because of this, they are one of the easiest furniture items to ship for online retailers. They are also an essential piece of decor in most homes, meaning there is a very good market for bookshelves.

Coffee Tables

Coffee tables are an extremely popular and fashionable item. They are a top choice to sell online because they are lightweight, popular, and come in a variety of different styles. There is plenty of room to discover a niche when selling coffee tables online. Plus, it’s also very cost-efficient. Many coffee tables can be shipped before assembly, making them even easier for online retail.

Chairs and Stools

Unfortunately, selling sectional couches online is not always practical. But online retailers can still sell comfort to their customers in the form of chairs and stools. These are much more compact and lightweight alternatives to couches and sofas.

Chairs also offer tremendous variety and style, meaning online retailers have plenty of options to choose from. No matter what your niche is, chairs are a great option to add to your inventory. Office chairs, dining room chairs, armchairs, and rocking chairs are just a few examples. Chairs are both highly practical and highly cost-effective for online furniture retailers.

Desks

Desks are another item that can easily be assembled after purchase. This makes them relatively easy to store and ship. Desks have also become an increasingly in-demand item in recent years. With the increase in remote work since 2020, more people are working out of home offices than ever before. This means desks are becoming a regular part of the decor in homes across the country. Therefore, retailers can easily capitalize on this new demand by selling desks (and other office furniture) online.

End Tables/Nightstands

Another common furniture item that is lightweight and easy to ship are end tables and nightstands. Most homes have multiple sets of these items, making them extremely viable for retailers to sell. These items also come in an extreme variety of styles, which helps to keep their market fresh. There will always be consumer interest in nightstands and end tables. On top of that, they are a cost-efficient item for retailers to sell.

Starting an Online Furniture Store: Getting Set Up

Once you figure out what to sell, you still have the crucial step of setting up your online furniture store. This may seem daunting at first, especially to those with no web design experience. But creating an online store is easier today than it ever has been. The simplest way to create an online furniture store is to use an ecommerce platform like Ecwid.

Ecwid allows business owners to easily set up and manage nearly every aspect of their business easily online. From handling payments to shipping to creating high-quality product listings, Ecwid takes care of everything you need.

Another option for online retailers, rather than creating a new website, is to sell on existing marketplaces like Amazon. Ecwid can help with this as well, with tools that help you easily integrate sales channels across multiple platforms.

Ecwid’s ecommerce platform has already helped dozens of online furniture retailers manage their businesses successfully. Want to learn more about how you can succeed in ecommerce? Read our tips on the latest ecommerce trends for 2023.

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Feb 5, 2023

About the author

Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at Ecwid. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs’ daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.