Buying furniture online: sustainability less of a deciding factor in the country, hence the growing preference for self-assembly

For some, it’s tradition: jump into the car and head to the big furniture store out in the countryside. It’s the place to buy lamps, dishes, and every now and then a new sofa or crib. But more and more often, we buy our furniture online. This is the result of a new GfK survey conducted by Galaxus, involving 2,508 select representative customers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Just under eight out of ten Germans still shop primarily in brick-and-mortar furniture stores. But 21.7 per cent already say they shop predominantly online. 18-29 year-olds are trendsetters (26.7%), but 23.1 per cent of 50-59 year-olds also find their furniture mostly online. From the age of 60, this number quickly declines.

Product details and delivery are crucial, consulting less so

A detailed product information page is vital for customers buying their furniture online –⁠ just under four in ten respondents cite this as «most important». But onsite delivery is also of the essence: it’s the most important aspect for 35.7 per cent of customers asked. «We need to provide our customers with all the relevant information and as many images as possible. The lack of opportunity to touch or sample a piece of furniture is still one of the main reasons why fewer people buy online. This is especially true for upholstered furniture. But we can counteract this with the right services,» says Jan Wentrot, Leader Category Management at Galaxus Germany.

19.3 per cent of Germans feel that onsite assembly is the most important factor, with differences between the sexes: 21.5 per cent of men want professionals to mount their furniture, compared to only 17.1 per cent of women. In turn, 39.1 per cent of women particularly look for onsite delivery , while only 32.3 per cent of men see it as the most important factor when shopping for furniture.

There are some noteworthy geographic differences too: in villages and communities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, assembly services is the most important factor for only one in ten participants; in places with 5,000 inhabitants or more, that rate more than doubles. «So in a village, people build their furniture themselves more often, while in cities, people are more likely to let someone else do it,» says Jan Wentrot.

When shopping for furniture online, only 6.3 per cent of Germans consider outside help, in the form of chat bots or test posts, for example, to be important. However, this may also be because they aren’t used to good customer service in online stores, and aforementioned innovative approaches are rare. One note on our own behalf: it may be that some of the participants weren’t familiar with the Interior category on galaxus.de. Here you’ll find numerous editorial reviews and tips surrounding furniture, and our community will answer any of your questions.

Sustainability: 24.3 per cent of East Germans want regional furniture, West Germans only 15.1 per cent

The online shopping crown goes to Berliners, by the way. 27.1 per cent of capital dwellers shop online exclusively or predominantly. Quite the opposite of north-west Germans: only 15.7 per cent of Hamburg, Bremen and Lower Saxony residents buy furniture predominantly online.

Sustainability divides Germans, at least when it comes to furniture shopping: 49.2 per cent of all respondents say they pay attention to sustainability. 50.8 per cent don’t pay much attention. There’s no meaningful difference in the sexes, nor does income play a major role. However, differences are again found between urban and rural areas – in places with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, less attention is paid to sustainability than in larger cities.

But what does sustainability mean? What exactly is relevant, what is preferred? Most people pay attention to certificates such as FSC, the Blue Angel, Oeko-Tex, etc. 24.3 per cent of Germans want certified materials. This is followed by locally manufactured furniture (16.9 per cent) and second-hand products (16.8 per cent). It seems more and more Germans want their furniture to be made locally or, at best, not have to be made from scratch at all. This is where the newer federal states differ from the old ones. 24.3 per cent of East Germans pay attention to regionality, but only 15.1 per cent of West Germans do. Certificates are more important to West Germans (26%), while East Germans often don’t care about them (17%).

What’s your furniture shopping experience? Report back to us in the comments!

Images (in German, further material on request):
Furniture Shopping DACH Comparison
Most important service DACH comparison
Sustainability East-West Comparison
Sustainability and inhabitants
Logo Galaxus
Jan Wentrot