Furniture shopping used to mean one thing: driving to a showroom or store, wandering the aisles, and testing out every couch in sight. These days, you can just as easily buy a coffee table from your phone while waiting in line for, well, coffee.
Foundational pieces, though, are a little different from buying home decor or accent items like a console table. A sofa, dining table, or bed frame is an investment you expect to last for years, and that makes the choice between shopping online and visiting a showroom worth a little more thought. Both paths can lead you to a piece you’ll love for years, but each comes with its own set of pros and cons. Here’s what to expect from each approach:
Buying Furniture Online
Shopping for furniture online can be wonderfully convenient, or a bit of a gamble, depending on where you buy and how carefully you shop.
The Pros
The biggest advantage of online furniture shopping is sheer selection. You can browse styles, colors, and finishes from dozens of retailers without ever leaving your couch. Comparing prices across providers takes minutes instead of an entire Saturday spent hopping from one store to another.
Moreover, many online stores now offer tools that let you “place” a piece in your room to check the scale and style before you commit. Add in the convenience of being able to shop from anywhere and have your furniture delivered wherever you are, and it’s easy to see why online shopping has become a first stop for so many buyers.
The Cons
The catch is that photos can only tell you so much. Wood grain, cushion firmness, and true color often look a little different in person than they do on a screen, which means you're sometimes making a significant purchase without fully knowing what you're getting until it shows up at your door. Many online retailers also stop at shipping; assembly, which is sometimes a little too complicated, with screws and small parts sometimes missing, and packaging disposal is all left to you.
If you're buying from an unfamiliar company, it's worth doing a little homework first; not every seller is equally reputable, and returns or refunds can be a frustrating process if something doesn't work out. A little furniture know-how goes a long way here.
Buying Furniture In-Store
The Pros
There’s simply no replacing personal experience. Sitting on a sofa or running your hand across a tabletop before you buy it is something you can’t do online. In-store shopping lets you do exactly that, often with knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions you won’t find spelled out on a product page.
If the piece is in stock, you may even be able to take it home on the same day (if your vehicle size permits). Some stores also offer white-glove delivery, which includes setting up your new furniture and hauling away the packaging and sometimes your old furniture for you. After-sales service tends to be stronger too, since there’s a real store and real people behind the purchase.
The Cons
The trade-off is selection and time. You’re generally limited to what’s on that showroom floor, which can mean visiting several stores before you find the right fit. The process takes time, sometimes a lot of it. In-store retailers also tend to offer fewer discounts and promotions than their online-only counterparts.
T.Y. Fine Furniture: A Place to Buy Online and In-Store
The good news is that you don’t have to choose one way exclusively. Many customers love the option of buying online, but also want to shop from and support local furniture makers. Shopping directly through your local furniture store’s website, rather than online from a big box store, gives you a nice middle ground. Many stores, including ours, now list their full collections online, so you can easily scout styles and finishes from home, then visit in person to see your favorites and test them.
When you shop with us online, our entire handcrafted furniture collection is listed for you to browse, and our team is just a message or call away if you have questions. We’ll do our best to help just as we would if you’re in our showrooms in Columbus, Ohio. If you prefer shopping in-person, we’ll walk you through our store and your options at a friendly pace, with no pressure to buy. Plenty of customers come back two or three times before making a final decision, and that’s more than fine with us.
One thing to keep in mind. Because our furniture is handcrafted and custom-built to order, there’s typically a wait time between purchase and delivery, whether you buy online or in-store. We do hold clearance sales from time to time, when you may be able to take a piece home right away. But a bit of wait is the standard experience, and well worth it for furniture built to last.
Check out T.Y. Fine Furniture Buyer's Guide.
Featured photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels
