Best Furniture thrives in digital age
The advantage of having smart, comfortable furniture was made clear in lockdown, and looks set to remain an important part of home life as comfy lounge suites, home offices and work spaces for children ease us into a new way of living.
For the past few weeks, The Best Furniture Shop has been busily fulfilling a flurry of clickand-collect orders placed through its website, where people can browse hundreds of items for every part of the home.
The company’s showroom in New Brighton reopened yesterday but continues to offer contactless collections and deliveries nationwide.
The Best Furniture Shop owner Kim Booth says social distancing is no problem at the spacious dual-entrance store, which is filled with modern, high-quality items, often at the best prices in New Zealand.
It’s that competitive edge in pricing that kept the store so busy, Kim says.
‘‘We put a lot of work into our website over the last year and that’s been incredibly helpful for customers. Almost all our stock is listed and we update it all the time.
‘‘The website is a really easy way to compare prices, which is why it works so well. We don’t have the expenses of a big chain store and we pass those savings on.’’
Kim says The Best Furniture Shop’s approach of using low overheads to provide better prices reflected shoppers’ preference for bargains over fancy showrooms.
The rise of internet sales further highlighted the wastefulness of plush, oversized stores, she says.
The Best Furniture Shop, by contrast, keeps its heater off even in winter and was set up in New Brighton specifically for the low rent.
‘‘People want furniture for their home or workplace, not some showroom, and they want a good price, which is totally fair,’’ Kim says.
‘‘We support that by keeping our store basic but our furniture is top quality.
‘‘Everything is built to last and a lot of it is extremely funky. We have noticed a huge increase in orders of our New Zealandmade products, like the Villager and Charlton ranges. These are designed and manufactured in Greymouth and have a 25-year guarantee.
‘‘When you buy a piece of Villager you not only show your appreciation to the style and quality, but make a positive contribution to the protection and preservation of New Zealand native forests.
‘‘Each piece in the Villager range is crafted in renewable plantation-grown pine.’’
❚ To find out more, call The Best Furniture Shop on 03 388-9128140 or go online to bestfurniture.co.nz The showroom is open daily at 140 Brighton Mall, New Brighton.