Over the last decade, a lot of our own shopping behaviors have changed drastically. With the evolution of cell phones, laptops, and the emergence of the internet, shopping for products online has become easier than ever.
When it comes to furniture shopping, it has become very tempting to shop online because it is so convenient. In fact, you may have already found that beige sofa that you’ve been dreaming about in your living room. You may be thinking, “How great is it that I didn’t have to leave the comfort of my own home?”
If you are looking for the perfect reclining leather loveseat or blue recliner chair, you are likely to explore all options and not settle. If this is the case, it will be best to know whether shopping online or in-store is the best option for you.
Today we will be discussing the pros and cons of online vs. in-store furniture shopping to help you decide which route is right for you. Read on to learn more!
In this article…
- Online Furniture Shopping
- Pros of Online Furniture Shopping
- Cons of Online Furniture Shopping
- In-Store Furniture Shopping
- Pros of In-Store Furniture Shopping
- Cons of In-Store Furniture Shopping
- Which Method Is Best For You?
Online Furniture Shopping
Picture this: you are sitting in your living room after discussing with your spouse that you need a new gray sectional. You’re enjoying your cup of coffee and you’re so comfortable, so rather than going into your bedroom to get dressed to go out, you start scrolling through Wayfair looking for gray sectional options on your phone.
After a quick filter search, you find a dark gray sectional couch that is visually appealing and fits within your budget. As you are about to look through the details, you notice that it says there is only 1 left in stock. You decide to hit the “buy” button as fast as you can to make sure you secure it.
Online shopping has become so easy and accessible to us that it has transformed many of our shopping methods and habits. However, it does have its downfalls as well. Let’s get into the pros and cons of online furniture shopping.
Pros of Online Furniture Shopping
Convenience
In the scenario above, it was noted that you didn’t have to leave the comfort of your own home and you got to enjoy your cup of coffee. It also took mere minutes to find the gray sectional that you ultimately chose for your living room. The convenience and ease of online shopping is one of the most attractive features.
When you shop for furniture online, you are also ensuring that it will be delivered to your home. While it may take longer to get to your home, this is one less step you have to take to get the furniture in your living room.
Filtering Furniture Options
While scrolling through an online furniture website, you will likely be flooded with endless options at first that can turn overwhelming. On most sites, you are able to filter your search down to exactly what you are looking for.
Are you looking for a TV recliner within a $1,300 price range? How about a leather reclining sofa within a $2,500 price range? You will be able to filter your search down to the exact furniture piece, color, and price range you are looking for to make your search much easier.
We often receive feedback from our customers at La-Z-Boy South Texas, who appreciate the convenience of being able to find exactly what they are looking for without any assistance. This is one of the reasons why online shopping is favored by many.
The ability to filter your search online is definitely an advantage of online shopping.
Avoiding Salespeople
One of the most common issues felt when shopping for furniture in a store is the lurking presence of a salesperson. If you already know exactly what you want, you may not want to discuss any other options with a salesperson.
When shopping for furniture online, this removes the salesperson from the equation. This is an understandable advantage that online shopping presents to you.
Cons of Online Furniture Shopping
Online furniture shopping definitely is not perfect. Now that we have discussed the pros of online furniture shopping, it is now time to discuss the downfalls.
Margin For Error
We walked through a scenario where there was only 1 gray sectional left in stock and you felt rushed to click and buy it before somebody else did. While you were able to secure the furniture, some important details may have been missed.
For example, you may have been looking to upgrade the reclining sectional from a manual-handle recliner to a power recliner. However, the system either didn’t register your filtered request or you missed it in a rush. Now you have the wrong sectional delivered to your living room, and you will ultimately have to return it if it is an option.
When shopping online, anything you buy may not come exactly how it looked or how you thought it would function. The same goes for furniture. Since you can look at the furniture in person in a furniture store, shopping in a store is more likely to eliminate the errors that online shopping presents.
You Can’t Feel the Furniture
Being able to see the furniture in person before buying is an important step to ensure you aren’t missing any important details. With online shopping, you are not able to test an important sense: the feeling of the furniture.
Since everyone has a different body type and shape, furniture fits everybody differently. The brown recliner that was visually appealing online may be as hard as a rock when it arrives at your house. It would’ve been nice to know this before you bought the recliner, and this will always be a deficiency of shopping for furniture online.
No In-Person Assistance
This may be an appealing factor to people who know exactly what they’re looking for. If you already know you’re looking for the grey recliner chair special offer you found on the Bob Mills Furniture website, you likely won’t need much assistance, if any.
But what if you don’t know what you’re looking for? What if you’d like some assistance from a real person who would be able to help you find the perfect furniture piece for your living room? In-store assistance from design experts can be a very helpful asset and is not possible when shopping online.
In-Store Furniture Shopping
What some may consider to be the old-school way of furniture shopping, in-store furniture shopping still exists! While there are great things about shopping in the store, there are also some potential negatives. Let’s walk through the pros and cons of in-store furniture shopping.
Pros of In-Store Furniture Shopping
Feeling the Furniture
At La-Z-Boy South Texas, we believe that the only way you will know if the furniture is right for you is if you sit in it yourself. The ability to feel the texture, size, and how it fits your body type only comes with in-store shopping.
When you shop online, you only get to see a picture of the reclining leather sofa you are interested in. But what if it isn’t the right size, or it doesn’t feel like it fits you?
By coming into a store, you’ll be able to feel exactly how the furniture fits you by sitting in the furniture. This will ensure that you know whether the furniture is right for you or not.
Design Services
Shopping for furniture in a store will allow you to make a connection with a designer to assist you.
If you do not know exactly what furniture and what look you’d like for your living room, having the help of an in-store designer may be a very helpful option for you.
In-store designers will be able to help you find the right style for you, and the right furniture to match that style.
Exclusive Deals
While online furniture websites also present deals and promotions, there are deals that only apply to customers who come into the store.
In-store deals can yield major discounts on furniture you are seeking, or can even be applied to future store visits as well. By coming into a furniture store, you are being rewarded for simply being there in some instances, which makes in-store shopping more appealing.
Cons of In-Store Furniture Shopping
It is important to note that in-store furniture shopping has its downfalls like online shopping does. Now that we have discussed the positives, let’s walk through the negatives of in-store shopping.
Salespeople
While La-Z-Boy South Texas trains its in-store designers to be helpful to you, it may not always feel this way at every furniture store you go to. Since in-store employees are incentivized to help you find the right furniture, it may feel a bit pushy at times and you may end up regretting coming into a store to buy furniture.
The ultimate goal of employees at a furniture store is to help you find the right furniture for you. Whether it’s a leather loveseat recliner or a leather power recliner you’re looking for, it is completely understandable if you do not want to feel like your decision was influenced by somebody else.
Disorganized Shopping Experience
While discussing the pros of online shopping, it was highlighted that you can use filters to search for exactly what you are looking for. If you already know what you want, this can feel like a very organized shopping experience that doesn’t overwhelm you.
Explaining to an in-store designer or salesperson what you want is helpful, but with all of the furniture options in sight, it may feel overwhelming.
On top of that, maybe the store you’re in has organized their furniture by price category rather than by type. When you see recliners and sofas mixed together, this may feel disorganized to some and may turn people away from the store.
Which Method Is Best For You?
After walking through the pros and cons of online vs. in-store furniture shopping, you now have a much better idea of which method is best for you.
If you are looking to buy furniture from the comfort of your own home and have it show up in your living room, online furniture shopping may be the right choice for you.
Before making the final decision, it is important to remember that online shopping results in errors more frequently than in-store shopping does.
If you want to feel the furniture for yourself to ensure what you’re choosing fits you perfectly and is unbothered by in-store employees, coming into a furniture store to buy furniture will be the best option for you.
The decision to shop online vs. in-store is ultimately up to you. If you are interested in browsing at home for more furniture options, this article will walk you through the top 5 recliners at La-Z-Boy San Antonio. If you have decided you’d like to come into a store, feel free to come into your nearest La-Z-Boy South Texas location where you will be able to take advantage of an in-store shopping experience.
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