Franchise Spotlight: Home Furnishing
Franchises offer considerable buying power and typically sell furniture and furnishings both online and offline.
Australia’s furniture retail market had an industry growth rate of 3% between 2012-2017, according to market research from ResearchAndMarkets.com.
Explained simply, this respectable performance reflects the growing number of households and business premises and the fact they virtually all need furniture, as well as Australia’s long stretch of economic success.
Statistics show that online sales account for a growing proportion of revenues, a trend accelerated by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Franchise sector analysis
Aspiring home furnishing franchisees will therefore be reassured that leading furniture franchises sell their goods online as well as in physical stores.
Franchisees also benefit from comprehensive training, support in procurement, merchandising, marketing and promotions, and the buying power of a network potentially encompassing dozens of stores that can translate into low prices for customers.
The Furniture Zone franchise sells bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, and kitchen and laundry appliances, with an emphasis on offering customers’ expert advice, stretching beyond the sale, from knowledgeable in-house consultants.
Founded in 1961, Betta Home Living has more than 200 Australian stores selling home furniture, bedding and appliances. Franchisees benefit from a marketing and promotional programme, access to a professional help desk, and a retail management system with a user-friendly point-of-sale interface, and inventory control and reporting functions.
Unusually in the franchising world, Furniture One is a group of independent retailers owned by its ‘franchisees’ who are “free from crippling fees”. Founded in 1964, the network has around 40 stores selling home furniture and furnishings, some of which were originally independent retailers that decided to rebrand.
Rent with Style , meanwhile, offers something a little different: appliances, furniture and electronics provided on a rent-to-own basis for household, commercial and industrial use. Franchisees work from home and are promised flexible working hours and the chance to build a passive income stream from recurring rental payments.