The attire you wear is an expression of your style and personality. And so is the furniture you place in your living room or bedroom. When you go furniture shopping, you have two options. It’s either to visit a department store or a furniture store.
This article will give you reasons why you should choose the latter.
What is a Department Store?
The large retail stores where different household /lifestyle items are sold are department stores. They are called ‘department’ stores because they sell items in various departments within the same building.
There are separate departments for handbags, kitchen appliances, kids’ wear, women’s apparel, etc.
Some famous department store brands can have their own line of products as well. Examples include the likes of Macy’s, Kohl’s, John Lewis, Zalando, and Otto.
Depending on the brands, they may or may not have a section for furniture. Department stores are popular for a reason. To summarize the reason for their popularity in one word, it’s – convenience. Why go somewhere else if you can get everything in one place?
Isn’t it? Not really.
When buying furniture, you are better off visiting a furniture store than a regular department store.
Here’s why:
Disadvantages of Buying Furniture from a Department Store
Department stores prevent you from hopping from one shop to another. But they do not offer unique, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. Even though they sell an impressive range of products, they provide limited variety if you niche down to the furniture.
1. Lackluster Customer Service
Step foot into a department store in Denver, and you’ll find a large number of employees serving customers in different categories.
Due to a massive selection of product categories, it’s impossible to provide a personal touch in customer service. The retail industry, in general, has a high employee turnover at 60% in the United States.
There are various reasons behind it, including:
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- Little to no promotion opportunities
- General disconnect with the vision of the department store brand
- Peripatetic nature of the job; most employees view it as a temp job
- Poor onboarding and longer shifts
- Low pay (the average salary of a retail sales associate is $13.85 per hour in the US) to cut the cost of operations
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All these factors contribute to lackluster customer service and a lack of motivation. The staff does not have the expertise to help you pick the right furniture piece that will suit your style.
2. Insufficient Variety
While department stores sell several product categories, you have limited options if you pick one type, i.e., furniture. People who want a unique furniture collection won’t find it in a department store.
A one-stop solution is not what they desire. They prefer hand-picked home furnishings that have a history behind them. Such variety is impossible to find in a department store. They feature mass-produced home furnishings.
Benefits of Buying from a Furniture Store
Most people aren’t hunting for home furnishings and lifestyle/household items on a single shopping trip. It makes sense to schedule a dedicated furniture store visit to find a piece you will cherish for years to come.
The advantages of purchasing from a furniture store as opposed to a department store are:
1. Personalized Customer Service
Unlike a department store, furniture store employees care about your personal preferences. They give you undivided attention.
Since a furniture store offers a single category of products, employees here have the chance to gain expertise. So, knowledgeable staff can assist you better than a department store employee.
2. Unique Home Furnishings
If you buy furniture from a department store, you’ll find cookie-cutter, mass-produced pieces. But if you want distinctive furniture, visiting a store like Rare Finds Warehouse in Denver is the way to go!
You’ll find seating, furniture, and tables hand-picked from Asia, North America, and Africa.
At Rare Finds Warehouse, you can buy:
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- vintage furniture
- antique furniture
- architectural salvage
- one-of-a-kind items sources from Egypt, India, Thailand, and the United States.
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There is no dearth of variety at Rare Finds Warehouse!
3. Customized Furniture Pieces
Imagine being a restaurant owner. For any restaurant (or bar), the ambiance is everything. The kind of furniture you select decides the vibe of the space. If you pick cookie-cutter furniture, your restaurant won’t set itself apart from competitors.
Thus, it would help if you had custom-built dinner tables, chairs, and other seating. Rare Finds Warehouse offers custom-built furniture. You can select the height of the tables, base, top, feature iron, wood, or steel as per your preference.
Moreover, trained professionals will help you make the right decision. Professionals at a department store can offer general guidance. But they cannot answer specific questions that need an in-depth understanding of design.
Key Takeaways
Here’s why you should pick a furniture store over a department store:
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- Get reclaimed home furnishings
- Buy unique pieces that aren’t mass-produced
- Enjoy personalized customer service
- Get custom-build furniture tailored to your preferences
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