Austria’s knowledge-hungry furniture shoppers are determined not to be sold a dud

For some people, hitting the motorway and heading to a large furniture store is tradition. We snap up lamps, crockery and sometimes even a new sofa or a bed for the little one. Increasingly often, we’re also buying our furniture online. That’s according to a recent GfK survey for Galaxus, which polled a representative sample of 2,508 people across Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Though the survey revealed that 9 out of 10 people in Austria still purchase furniture in brick-and-mortar stores, as many as 52.3 per cent had bought furniture online a minimum of once or could at least imagine doing so. Younger generations are leading the way in this regard, with more than two thirds of consumers aged between 15 and 39 willing to consider an online purchase. Among the over-60s, however, the figure drops to four in ten. Buying furniture online is an urban phenomenon. People living in cities with 100,000 or more inhabitants are twice as likely to shop online as people in smaller towns.

Product information and home delivery are crucial. Getting assistance? Not so much

A detailed product information page is vital for customers buying their furniture online, with more than five in ten respondents deeming this to be «most important». This suggests customers living in Austria are much more eager for knowledge than their counterparts in Germany, where just 38.7 per cent describe comprehensive information as important. Over in Switzerland, the figure is also under 50 per cent. Younger consumers in Austria are particularly keen to get exact information. More than 65 per cent of 15 to 39-year-olds think product information is the most important criterion.

«We need to provide our customers with all the relevant information and as many images as possible. The lack of opportunity to touch or sample a piece of furniture is still one of the main reasons why fewer people buy online. This is especially true of upholstered furniture. But we can counteract this by having the right content on our site,» says Galaxus Category Management Leader Jan Wentrot, who’s responsible for the galaxus.at furniture range.

However, home delivery is also vital to customers in Vienna, Salzburg and Upper Austria. A quarter of respondents said it was the most important aspect. Onsite assembly is the most crucial factor for 16.2 per cent of Austria-based shoppers. This is especially true of older generations, with more than a quarter of over-60s preferring to have their purchase assembled than reaching for the toolbox themselves.

Only 5.3 per cent of respondents consider outside assistance, such as help from chat bots or product reviews to be important when buying furniture online. However, this may also be because they aren’t used to getting solid advice from online shops, and innovative approaches like the ones mentioned above are rare. If we’re allowed to indulge in self-interest for a moment, it’s worth mentioning that the respondents may not have been familiar with our Interior product range on galaxus.at. It plays host to numerous editorial reviews and tips on the topic of furniture, while the Community tackles any questions.

Young people go second-hand, granny and grandpa go local

Austria is divided on sustainability, at least when it comes to furniture shopping. 50.9 per cent of all respondents said they paid attention to sustainability. On the other hand, 49.1 per cent have no interest in it. Strikingly, it’s seniors in particular who want to go sustainable. People aged 50 and over are especially keen to buy furniture locally, saving that new couch a trip round the world. The younger generations, however, are more likely to be found scoring second-hand bargains. They’re not fussed about having brand new furniture.

We’re also seeing significant differences between states. People in Carinthia, Upper Austria, Styria and Vienna pay particularly close attention to sustainability when buying furniture, with around 54 per cent of respondents confirming this. Meanwhile, in Lower Austria and Burgenland, the issue isn’t quite as important. Just 43 per recent of Burgenlanders want to take sustainability into consideration when shopping for furniture. You can also read about how people in Germany and Switzerland shop for furniture.

What’s been your experience of shopping for furniture? Let us know in the comments!

Images (in German, further material on request):
Furniture shopping DACH comparison
Most important service DACH comparison
Sustainability DACH comparison
Logo Galaxus
Jan Wentrot