Survey: Key life moments spur furniture purchases
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, July 6, 2008
ATLANTA — There are no rules in how a home should look, function or be furnished. And consumers' lives are filled with “furniture moments” that coincide with life events that include birth, new jobs and children leaving home.
Those are key findings by Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in a study of consumer needs commissioned by the American Home Furnishings Alliance and presented at the organization's annual marketing meeting here recently.
According to Jennifer Scott, the Ogilvy managing director who presented the findings, the past 10 years have seen consumers reinvent home ownership.
They no longer want their homes to reflect “outside” standards of good taste or behavior, but want them to mirror their personalities and family life. They want a place for relaxing and unwinding, and family time, recreation and leisure.
But with many retail options today, consumers can become paralyzed or procrastinate on buying home furnishings unless they get help building their own look, the study found.
The study drew on three Internet focus groups that included 90 consumers of various ages and incomes, supplemented by nine in-depth telephone interviews with industry executives and other leaders. It also used data from surveys of the American consumer conducted by GfK/Roper Reports.
Scott said that in tough economic times like now, consumers usually cut back first on dining out and entertainment, and focus more on the home. When asked about their top desire for the home, if money were no object, the largest number of respondents put new furniture at the top — tied with new kitchen cabinets, appliances and fixtures.
The industry should exploit the “feel good” factor associated with furnishings that serve the personal lifestyle needs of the home and its inhabitants, Scott said.
Furnishings preference and purchase behavior differs among generations, she said.
Gen Y (generally born after 1981), sometimes called the Ikea generation, is the group least satisfied with their furniture — what little they have — and the most interested in upgrading to enhance their homes. Key “furniture moments” that trigger purchasing for this group include marriage, a first home, first job or promotion and a first baby, she said.
Gen X (born 1961-1981) is the “eclectic generation” that needs help in streamlining a mix of inherited pieces with their own purchases. Purchase opportunities occur when they upgrade from a starter house, remodel kids' rooms and buy new entertainment systems.
“Gen Xers are in love with flat screens,” Scott said, “but they don't want electronics to dominate the room. So the man gets the electronics and the woman gets to furnish a room around it.”
Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are the home decorator generation and have the money to indulge in their preferences. Their “furniture moments” are when the children are gone, or when they downsize from bigger homes or relocate for retirement.
Buying eco-friendly “green” furniture and buying local (“made in the USA”) doesn't drive consumers to stores but does “provide a halo effect,” Scott said.
To appeal to any consumers, Scott said, the industry needs to refine and test product positioning and define and understand target audiences, Scott said.
Since consumers want to express themselves through their home furnishings purchases but also want to be guided, the industry needs to provide opportunities for personalized choice but with the security of a framework that ensures functionality and good taste. Stores like Crate & Barrel, for instance, make shoppers feel secure, and make them believe that what they're buying is right.
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