It’s Time For Furniture & Appliance Organizations To Embrace Social Selling

By Jager Robinson | October 30, 2024

With 71% of consumers more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals, and an overwhelming 80% of U.S. consumers more likely to make a purchase based on a social media recommendation from an influencer, its time for Furniture & Appliance retailers to not only expand into accompanying products but also embrace selling on the world’s largest fastest marketplace—TikTok Shop. 

Furniture & Appliance organizations need to focus on 5 key areas:

These five key areas of influence are ultimately what will drive sales and are the backbone of multi-vendor commerce. Improving your technology stack, connection capabilities, partner network, and speed-to-market capabilities will ultimately make or break your organization and Logicbroker is here to help. 

The Five Key Ares of Focus

 

1) The Long (Sometimes Too Long) Replacement Cycle for your Marquee Products

Furniture and appliance products often come with long replacement cycles, typically ranging from 8 to 12 years. With such infrequent purchases of big-ticket items like refrigerators, sofas, or washers, maintaining consistent customer engagement during these non-buying periods is a significant challenge. 

To address this, organizations must broaden their product offerings to include more frequently purchased home goods and accessories. By selling items like pillows, blankets, home décor, and wall art, furniture retailers can keep their brand top-of-mind with customers who may not need to replace major furniture pieces but still want to refresh or enhance their living spaces.

For appliance retailers, offering accessories such as water filters, ice trays, and organizational solutions can serve a similar purpose. And, for those selling kitchen appliances, expanding into the “whole” picture selling microwaves, cutting boards, pan sets, and more, help drive continued business. 

These smaller, yet essential, products help extend the life of the larger appliances and keep customers returning between major purchases. 

Perhaps the best example of this method would be Samsung. Samsung Electronics, the largest name brand electronics brand in the world, turned to Logicbroker to help them connect with various marketplaces across the globe to not only expand Samsung’s brand awareness but also sell accompanying products to their large ticket appliances. With Logicbroker, Samsung now operates a functional marketplace in over 20 countries and sells everything from computer equipment to gaming accessories to accompany their TVs, gaming consoles, and more. 

By providing a diverse range of home goods and appliance accessories through multi-vendor commerce, furniture and appliance organizations can maintain a continuous relationship with their customers, ensuring they remain a trusted resource for all home needs, even during long stretches between major purchases.

 

2) Managing the Ever-Increasing Cost to Ship

Shipping big, bulky furniture and appliances presents a logistical challenge for retailers and brands, as these products are much more expensive to transport than smaller items. The sheer size and weight of these goods make shipping costs a significant concern, both for the business and the customer. 

To address this, furniture and appliance organizations can benefit from intelligent order routing, which includes utilizing dropship suppliers. By tapping into a network of dropshippers, retailers can reduce shipping costs by routing orders through the most efficient suppliers, ensuring the closest fulfillment centers handle the deliveries. 

This not only cuts down on shipping expenses but also accelerates the delivery process, giving businesses an edge in providing faster service to customers. 

 

3) It’s Time to Embrace “Social Selling”

As buyers increasingly turn to social media platforms and design influencers for inspiration, furniture and appliance retailers must adapt by selling products where their customers are already engaging. 

Platforms like TikTok have become powerful tools for social selling, allowing brands to connect with consumers directly through visually-driven content. TikTok Shop, for instance, provides an opportunity for furniture and appliance organizations to showcase products in real-life settings, inspiring customers with curated designs and lifestyle presentations. This not only boosts brand visibility but also shortens the gap between inspiration and purchase.

Retailers can also enhance the customer experience by implementing “shop the room” capabilities on their own websites. This feature allows customers to purchase an entire room setup with just a few clicks, regardless of who is fulfilling the individual products. 

For example, a customer searching for a new refrigerator could explore various kitchen designs online, where they can also buy complementary items such as a microwave, espresso machine, cabinets, or backsplash. 

By providing a seamless, one-stop shopping experience that caters to a customer’s entire vision, furniture and appliance organizations can significantly enhance convenience, drive sales, and build deeper connections with their consumers.

 

4) Warranties, Options, & More

Consumers purchasing furniture and appliances increasingly seek extended warranties to protect their investments, and they want these warranties to offer real, tangible value. For large-ticket items like sofas, refrigerators, or washing machines, buyers want peace of mind knowing their products are covered in case of damage or malfunction. Essentially, these warranties must make it easier for them to justify the cost of a big purchase.

Managing extended warranties, however, can be complex and is often best handled by specialized insurance and warranty providers. By integrating API connectivity, retailers can fully automate the warranty process, offering seamless warranty options to customers as they finalize their purchases. 

Interestingly, this level of automation and connection is a build-in byproduct of a multi-vendor commerce connection. Because the Logicbroker platform utilizes every connection type to connect organizations with their partners, MVC has the ability to rapidly adopt additional partners like warranty providers at no extra cost. This automation ensures that warranties are easy to access, manage, and track for both the consumer and the retailer, creating a smooth, hassle-free experience. 

 

5) Providing Guidance Online

Consumers today expect expert guidance when making significant purchases, whether they’re shopping in-store or online. Much like we’re used to in-store, buyers want informed, knowledgeable advisors who can help them make the best decisions for their needs, without feeling pressured into a sale. This is where online clientelling comes into play—offering personalized service that allows buyers to explore their options and receive tailored advice. 

By fostering a clientelling approach, furniture and appliance retailers can build trust with their customers, leading to higher satisfaction and increased sales. When buyers feel supported rather than sold to, they’re more likely to purchase confidently across both owned inventory and dropship products. 

Given that different items may require specific purchasing approaches—such as considering delivery options for bulky furniture or warranties for high-end appliances—having expert guidance can simplify the decision-making process, driving success across the entire product range.

Championing clientelling, BBQGuys is a prime example of how expertise can set you apart in the industry. BBQGuys, while not a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer, uses a unique expertise system to help customers talk to experts and other enthusiasts to find the best products for their backyard. Everything from grills to patio equipment is covered by their experts, and with the personal touch they need, BBQGuys even recommends non-listed products from accompanying partners to not skew results toward their marketplace. 

Addressing the five key areas—long replacement cycles, bulky shipping logistics, social media-driven inspiration, extended warranties, and expert clientelling—is essential for furniture and appliance organizations to stay competitive in today’s market. 

By leveraging solutions like Logicbroker, retailers can create a seamless, value-driven shopping experience for their customers. The combination of these strategies ensures that businesses remain top-of-mind, streamline operations, and enhance customer loyalty, all while catering to the evolving needs and preferences of modern consumers.

Get Started Today

Leveraging a Multi-Vendor Commerce (MVC) platform like Logicbroker allows furniture and appliance organizations to rapidly evolve their product offerings and seamlessly shift between owned inventory and dropship models. This flexibility helps improve margins while lowering operational costs by ensuring that retailers aren’t burdened with overstock and can quickly adapt to shifting consumer demands. 

Whether it’s accommodating frequent purchases for home accessories or managing the logistics of large, bulky items, an MVC platform makes it easier to streamline operations and optimize product availability.

Beyond improving product management, MVC platforms also enhance the customer experience by enabling effortless connections with new partners. This opens up better opportunities for clientelling, expanded warranties, and flexible fulfillment options like buying in-store and shipping to home. With a modern, integrated commerce solution, retailers can address consumer-driven requests without the complexity of managing multiple systems or vendors.

If you’re ready to get started, or sit down with one of our solutions engineers to discuss how Logicbroker’s platform can specifically help your organization, reach out today. 

About Logicbroker

Logicbroker is a premier multi-vendor commerce platform that seamlessly connects trading partners regardless of integration types. Our modern solutions empower retailers and brands to take control of their customer experience by harnessing and analyzing vital first-party data, reducing inventory risk, and curating their expanded assortment. By improving the visibility into our client’s commerce programs, Logicbroker can better position retailers and brands for transformative growth.

As business needs and demand shift, Logicbroker provides the ability to quickly switch suppliers and product fulfillment between 3P to 1P and responsibly find new sources of inventory that uphold your brand integrity and meet your delivery promise. ​We work with mid-market and Enterprise manufacturers and retailers across a number of verticals including Health & Wellness, Home Improvement, Consumer Electronics, Toys & Babies, and Consumer Packaged Goods and service brands such as Samsung, Victoria’s Secret, The Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and BBQGuys.

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