Merchandising Ideas for Furniture Stores

As a furniture store owner, you’ve spent tons of money finding and bringing in beautiful pieces and accessories to fill the floors of your showroom. Now it’s time to merchandise your inventory to get people into your store and keep them there long enough to find furniture that fits their lifestyle and needs. If you succeed in making people feel as if they can “see” the furniture in their own home or office, your merchandising is doing its job.

One of your prime areas for convincing people to come into your store is your front store windows. Create several different mini rooms, such as a bedroom using traditional furniture and a living room showcasing more modern pieces to appeal to a variety of target markets. Add vibrant accessories to grab attention, including bright bedspreads or comforters for bedroom settings. Arrange boldly patterned pillows and throws on couches and chairs. Add bright vases with live flowers to a dining room table display, and set the table with trendy, colorful place settings that complement and show off the materials used in the construction of the table.

Rather than grouping furniture according to its function or similarity, such as putting all dining room tables in one area and all lamps in another, create vignettes with your furniture. Vignettes make people want to sit or try out the furniture because it’s so inviting and comfortable looking. Add accessories with trendy hues to your vignettes to sell more products while helping buyers visualize how the furniture and furnishings will look in their own homes. Once a prospective buyer is curious about the choices available, then you can take them to an area in the back where the furniture is grouped together by function.

Stores with spacious front parking lots have a unique opportunity to draw attention to their furniture by moving some of the pieces outside on nice, sunny days. The pieces draw attention all on their own, but many shoppers assume you’re holding a furniture sale, so that will pull them in, too. If you sell outdoor patio furniture, group the furniture and accessories with plants and barbecue grills to show how the furnishings would look in a customer’s backyard.

Another display option is to arrange your furniture by lifestyle theme, such as creating a room featuring modern striped furniture, another area with antique looking furniture, and one showcasing pieces that incorporate brushed chrome into the design. Add accessories, lighting and rugs to the area that enhance the theme. Furnish the areas with extras such as vases, framed family photos, and books to help people see how the pieces would fit into their own homes.