Where to Sell Furniture Online
10 Best E-Stores for Manufacturers
If one thinks of places where to sell furniture online, partnering with eCommerce platforms is a way to go. Firstly, by collaborating with e-stores, furniture manufacturers get access to the global market and technical toolset that they provide.
Secondly, with online selling platforms, furniture brands don’t have to invest extra money in a website and listings. E-shop platforms got everything covered — design, technical aspects, payment and marketing tools, etc. All you have to do is to fill the e-catalog with your product promo materials. Easy as pie!
But which platform is best to partner with? As a 3D rendering company, we collaborate with lots of furniture manufacturers, so we know exactly which online marketplaces they use the most. Here are the 10 best eCommerce platforms for furniture makers.
#1. Amazon Home
Website: https://www.amazon.com/
Professional subscription: 39,99/month + additional selling fees
Individual subscription: 0,99/item sold + additional selling fees
When asking where to sell furniture online, the first option that comes to mind is Amazon Home. Amazon provides two types of subscriptions that allow sellers to be added to the catalog and get guided marketing support from the Amazon merchandising team. Also, goods with high ratings and good reviews can receive additional placements across the platform. As for referral fees for furniture, they are 15% for the portion of the total sales price up to $200 and 10% for any portion of the total sales price greater than $200.
#2. Etsy
Website: https://www.etsy.com/
Standard Selling Plan: $0/month
Plus: $10/month
This online store provides two selling plans, and they both offer subscribers tech support, various marketing options, detailed statistics, and easy payment tools. Besides, Etsy gives 15 listing credits and $5 in credit to advertise goods with Etsy Ads each month. It also allows customizing your product pages and featured items. With Etsy Plus, sellers get a .store address for free for a year. Last but not least, Etsy advocates for diversity and has curated collections of Black-owned and Latinx-owned businesses.
#3. Wayfair
Website: https://www.wayfair.com
$0/month
When wondering where to sell furniture online, the first thing manufacturers want to know is how many customers a platform has. And Wayfair, with its 31+ million buyers, is one of the biggest online marketplaces out there. This e-store sells both higher-priced and budget-friendly furniture so their customer base is quite broad. Wayfair doesn’t take a percentage of their partners’ sales but operates on the wholesale cost model. It means that they pay their partners the wholesale cost of their items but set the retail price on their own.
#4. Target
Website: https://www.target.com/
A subscription plan is available only for approved users
Target Plus is an invitation-only online retailing platform which means that you have to submit your goods first and wait until you’re approved. Target takes pride in their policy claiming that they provide hand-picked sellers and thoughtfully selected products for their customers. So when it comes to partnership, online sellers must pay a 5-15% commission rate or referral fee to sell on Target Marketplace. In turn, partners get аccess to loyal Target customers, limited competition, advanced digital and marketing tools, secure market share, etc.
#5. Walmart
Website: https://marketplace.walmart.com/
$0/month
Walmart is the world’s largest omnichannel retailer that is also strict about their partnerships. To sell furniture, you have to submit your products and wait for approval. Once your brand is accepted, you get all the benefits of a partnership with the e-comm giant. Walmart doesn’t have any subscription or monthly fees but they take a 15% referral fee for furniture, outdoor and kitchen. Collaborating with Walmart will bring your brand the attention of millions of their customers, plus access to their special Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) program.
#6. 1stDibs
Website: https://www.1stdibs.com/
Subscription Plan: $500/month
1stDibs is an online marketplace where you can find luxury antique, vintage, and modern furniture pieces. Naturally, it’s a place to go if you’re wondering where to sell high-end furniture online. However, the runners of this e-platform are quite selective. They want you to submit an application and add at least two references who can verify the quality of goods and services you provide. 1stDibswant all their sellers to match their high standards, so their in-house experts can reject or approve your brand at any stage.
#7. Shopify
Website: https://www.shopify.com/
Basic Shopify: $29/month
Shopify: $79/month
Advanced Shopify: $299/month
According to research, Shopify holds a 20% market share. It works equally well for bigger brands or small companies and startups – you can choose your selling plan based on your business scale and purposes. Depending on a plan, partners can get up to 15 staff accounts, discounts for shipping, advanced data and analytic reporting tools, etc. Also, Shopify provides a 14-day free trial period, so you can better understand how it works for your furniture business before choosing a selling plan.
#8. eBay
Website: https://www.ebay.com/
Starter: $4.95/monthly
Basic: $21.95/monthly
Premium: $59.95/monthly
Anchore: $299.95/monthly
Enterprise: $2,999.95/monthly
eBay has been on the market forever, so if you google “where to sell furniture online”, it pops up as one of the top options. eBay offers various selling plans but they all require an annual subscription. If you are a well-established brand with big catalogs and high transaction volumes, try the Enterprise plan. Or, you can start with basic ones and grow gradually. Anyway, all subscribers get customized store web addresses, the ability to control featured items, as well as all technical and marketing support they might need to sell online.
#9. Urban Outfitters
Website: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/
A subscription plan is available only for approved users
Urban Outfitters is a lifestyle retailer with 245 stores in the USA, Canada and Europe. It is also a curated online marketplace which means they select the best products for their platform. But getting into the selected brands is quite difficult — you have to not only submit an application but also call UO buyers directly, and then wait until they approve or disapprove your products. Since it’s a long procedure, some brands prefer to hire brokers who pitch for them and take a 5% fee for a pitch.
#10. Bonanza
Website: https://www.bonanza.com/
no subscription needed
Bonanza claims that 50 000 sellers voted them “Best Overall Marketplace” over eBay, Etsy and Amazon. It comes as no surprise since they don’t require any contracts, listing fees, or setup costs. Their commission is based on the Final Offer Value. Surely, FOV depends on products and shipping costs so do some research first if you’re about to join Bonanza. Their most standard commission though is 3,5% which is a quarter less than Amazon fees, for example.
Download CGIFURNITURE price guide and learn the costs of top-tier 3D visualization projects of different scales!
So if you’re wondering where to sell furniture online, choose a platform according to your sales volume, prices, and goals. On the one hand, such giants as Amazon are super popular marketplaces that provide their partners with a bunch of effective promo and marketing tools. In turn, you have to pay for a subscription + additional fees. On the other hand, smaller curator platforms take lower fees and provide limited competition but you may not get a lot of customer attention from the get-go. Besides, there are online stores that select and submit products first and are difficult to enter. But once you get in there, you receive all the partner bonuses, a loyal customer base, and strong technical and marketing support.
Are you planning to sell your furniture online? With our 3D rendering services at hand, you can get photorealistic CGI we create specifically for e-platforms you choose!
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