Traditionally, the internet has given us what we want, when we want it. We can buy a book at 3am. We book a flight at 10pm. We can connect with friends on social media 24/7.
But there is a growing online trend in getting things HOW we want them.
I don't want the muesli with toasted oats and plump raisins; I'd prefer dried apricots and rye. I want a pink peep-toe shoe with lime green heels. I want a cool Barcelona chair but with my choice of fabrics, not the boring, standard white leather everyone has. And I want to find them from the comfort of my own home. I don't want to be schlepping around for that niche shop.
All of the above are available online. Having it your way.
In recent years, online retail has seen a
shift away from mass production to mass customisation. Global
brands such as Hallmark, Louis Vuitton, Nike and Motorola offer an online framework for the customer to alter the product to their liking
before purchasing.
But the furniture market has been slow to adopt this growing trend. Visit a standard online furniture retailer and it's all dull drop-down menus, wordy instructions and a complicated interface. At best, all you can specify is one fabric for the whole chair or a change of leg shape. Dull and boring.
But things are slowly changing and My Bespoke Chair is ahead of the curve. We offer an exciting user experience; fun and intuitive. Technology has democratised design. At the click of a mouse, you can design something that no-one else has, without needing a fancy diploma. You can now say “I designed this.”
My Bespoke Chair is perfectly positioned to
ride this upward wave of mass customisation. Three market factors are in play
here:
Firstly, online furniture sales is a growth
market. The market in the US is worth $9b and growing approximately 10% per
annum. People are feeling more confident in buying big ticket items online due to great returns policies, free samples, free or low-cost shipping and general consumer 'techno-ease'.
Secondly, current digital experiences are
shaping consumer expectations. We are being exposed to more enjoyable and
tailored online shopping experiences. According to a Forrester report in 2011,
once consumers get a taste for mass customisation, they are hooked. 35% of Americans surveyed said that
they would buy a product if they could specify features themselves.
Thirdly, mass
customisation doesn’t require huge investment for inventory. Standard components can be mass produced abroad and can be assembled locally, as the orders arrive. This is great for the local economy and brings jobs onshore. It's not an entirely new idea; Michael Dell offered PC upgrades and add-ons as early as the 1980s. Standard computer components made overseas but assembled in the US, giving the customer exactly the features they wanted.
But in recent years, manufacturing has been out-sourced. Manufacturing industries in the West have been decimated by the low wages, low raw material costs and quick production in China. However, with China's growing economy, wage increases, quality issues and the long shipping processes, many big players such as GE and Whirlpool are bringing manufacture, or at the very least assembly, back onshore.
Why can't that happen for the furniture market? That is what I dream about. Disrupting the status quo. Making custom furniture, employing local workshops using globally sourced materials, selling at high-street showroom prices. Everyone's happy.
And you get better stuff.
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