England 08/04/2013 – Consumers are buying more online than ever before, even large items like beds
In the UK, and many other parts of the world the way people buy goods for their home is changing. People are increasingly choosing to buy products from the web rather than on the High Street. Sales of beds from www.bedstreet.co.uk have risen drastically in the past few years.
This is not surprising when you look at statistics about how UK consumers buy home furnishing items. A recent survey by the digital marketing specialists Stickyeyes showed that 41 percent of consumers are using the web to buy home furnishing items or to inform their purchasing decision.
Some online bed retailers have seen sales rise by over 100% in the past year. This clearly demonstrates that consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to buy beds and mattresses. They have always bought soft furnishings and linen from their bedrooms on-line, but today are also buying bedroom furniture that way.
In general, consumers are far more confident about buying online than they once were. They know that if they pay with a credit card they get good protection. The law protects consumers who buy online and most companies can be relied upon to provide a good service and deal fairly with any issues a customer may have.
Strong Branding Helps
A large percentage of the on-line sales of beds are for big, well-established brands. These are brands that consumers already know and trust. In many cases, people buy the same brand of bed or mattress more than once. They know that they will not be disappointed. This purchasing habit really helps online bed retailers, it means that consumers are fairly confident that they know what they are getting without having to actually see or try out the bed.
However, successful online bed retailers like Bed Street also stock a range of cheaper beds. This is increasingly important in a market where more and more people are on a tight budget. Giving customers a choice between high end branded beds and mattresses and cheaper ones covers all of the bases, which has been key to their recent success.