'Chunlae Bulsachun' Furniture Industry, Untact Spring Breeze

Online Furniture Market Sales Growth... Interior Demand Also Focused on Untact
Impact of Increased Telecommuting and School Postponements... Sales Rise in Households with Children and Sofas

The model is viewing the Hanssem Rehouse Style Package Modern Brown model house in VR.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the furniture industry, which is unable to fully enjoy the peak spring season, is seeking a breakthrough through non-face-to-face (untact) sales online. With consumer sentiment worsening and visits to offline stores decreasing due to social distancing, a reduction in sales scale is inevitable, but the industry is overcoming this by expanding untact consumption. Major furniture companies such as Hanssem and Hyundai Livart are all strengthening their online distribution networks as a key strategy to regroup.

According to Hanssem on the 23rd, online sales through 'Hanssem Mall' and others in February and March this year increased by 17% compared to the same period last year. During the period when COVID-19 began to spread in earnest, online demand steadily increased, overcoming the perception that furniture must be seen in person before purchase. A Hanssem official explained, "Sales growth was seen mainly in children's furniture and daily necessities on Hanssem Mall."

Accordingly, Hanssem has also planned to transform Hanssem Mall from a furniture specialty mall into a comprehensive online shopping mall. Currently, products from about 520 companies including furniture, home appliances, lighting, and daily necessities are listed, and this number will be increased to over 700 by 2023, three years from now. In addition, Hanssem has been actively strengthening online marketing this year in connection with COVID-19. A representative example is the annual announcement of the 'Spring and Summer Season Lifestyle Trends' through Hanssem.com as well as YouTube and Instagram. The new Hanssem Rehouse Style Package, their flagship product, was also introduced on Hanssem.com through virtual reality (VR) services.

'Livart Online Legato Recliner Sofa,' the top-selling product online from Hyundai Livart

Hyundai Livart also saw a 25% increase in online business sales in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. Hyundai Livart sells products such as Livart, Livart Kitchen, and Williams Sonoma through about 30 online commerce platforms including its own online mall Livart Mall, Hyundai H Mall, Coupang, and Naver Store. A Hyundai Livart official said, "Since the beginning of this year, the number of visitors to the Hyundai Livart section on each site has increased, resulting in overall online sales showing a growth rate twice as high as last year."

To target the growing online furniture market, Hyundai Livart plans to open a new integrated online mall this year. The strategy is to significantly improve convenience features such as payment and product search compared to existing online malls, supporting easier and more convenient furniture purchases online.

The growth in the online sector in the furniture industry is primarily seen as influenced by the expansion of non-face-to-face consumption due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the increase in working from home and the postponement of elementary, middle, and high school openings have increased the time spent at home, which is believed to have added to the rise in sales of furniture related to rest and work.

Interior demand, where furniture is mainly consumed, is also concentrating on untact channels. According to the analysis of Mobile Index by IGAWorks, a mobile big data platform company, the number of users of interior applications increased from 1 million in March last year to 2.08 million in March this year, more than doubling. Apps such as 'Today’s House' and 'Hanssem Mall' recorded more than twice the number of new downloads in March compared to January. A furniture industry official explained, "Furniture demand that was postponed due to COVID-19 is now concentrating online," adding, "Sales of sofas, study furniture, and children's furniture are mainly increasing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.