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As the survey on online retailing shows: low-earners are less likely to return products
by Daniel Borchers
Buying furniture online: sustainability less of a deciding factor in the country, hence the growing preference for self-assembly
17/10/2022
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Germans are increasingly buying their furniture online. When considering a purchase, they highly value comprehensive product descriptions and onsite delivery. Assembly services and consulting aren’t as important. Opinions are divided on the issue of sustainability. All this and more can be seen in a representative survey conducted by market researcher GfK on behalf of the online retailer Galaxus.
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.
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.
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.
What’s your furniture shopping experience? Report back to us in the comments!
Daniel Borchers
Senior Communications Manager
Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.deA soft spot for good series, loud music, science fiction and (second division) football. As PR Manager, I am available to answer journalists' questions about Galaxus and honest e-commerce.
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