Joybird was founded in 2014 to offer a point of difference in the furniture market. “Then, the direct-to-consumer furniture sector was much smaller and tended to be focused on neutral offerings,” says Gerardo Ornelas, vice-president of Joybird.
“We wanted to create a brand that had room for vibrant self-expression. Our target customer is anyone who loves design and wants their surroundings to reflect their unique style.”
In addition to the company’s online business – which is part of the La-Z-Boy enterprise – Joybird also operates 12 Joybird showrooms focused in larger metropolitan cities in the US. “Over the last decade, as the direct-to-consumer furniture market has grown, we’ve grown with it, opening 12 showrooms for customers to touch and feel our products, expanding our online presence and adding advanced digital tools to support the buying experience,” he says.
A true omnichannel approach
Despite the acceleration of online uptake during the pandemic, Ornelas says stores continue to be important and that an omnichannel approach is vital. “Post-Covid shopping behaviour took the shopping experience back to retail stores to touch and feel products, understand a brand’s identity, and [for customers] to make sure that what they saw online was real,” he says.
“We’re bridging the gap from screen to living room in several ways. Our showrooms give shoppers the chance to take the ‘sit test’, check all the colours in real life and make sure pieces match their vision. For shoppers who don’t live near a showroom, we offer extensive free swatch kits to feel the upholstery and see it in their space. We even have a virtual showroom so that shoppers can interact with our team.”
Visualisation is essential. “We share rich imagery on our website and social platforms to inspire design decisions that are attainable for any consumer. We aim to match this inspiration in our stores, and our digital tools allow us to do this without having each frame and fabric combination on the floor.”
Reducing the uncertainty of buying online
”We are able to show customers what they’re buying in 4K High Definition detail,” says Ornelas. “Customers are looking for high quality, high definition imagery that reduces the uncertainty of buying online. Details matter!”
Understanding the ‘will it fit’ question is also important. Room scanning and space planning tools can help take the guesswork out of furniture buying while AR can help customers understand how a finished product will look. “Our AR experience allows customers to bring their sofa or sectional selection into their home to check for size and scale prior to purchase,” he says.
The retailer has also reduced lead times with a ready to ship designation for pre-built bestsellers in popular fabrics that sends orders out within two weeks. “We all dealt with the inevitable delays and supply chain issues during the pandemic, and we wanted our customers to be able to take full advantage of the end of those challenges,” he says. “Joybird is truly an omnichannel retailer, encouraging customers to shop both online and instore,” he says.
