Lessons from 10+ Years in eComm: 5 Keys to Competing in Today’s Furniture Market

By: Erica Barry, Regal’s National Accounts Manager

Before I joined Regal Fabrics, I spent nearly a decade helping furniture brands build and scale their eCommerce channels. Back when people still said, “No one’s buying a sofa without sitting on it first,” I watched the brands that figured it out take off and the ones that didn’t fall behind.

Now we know: customers will buy big, bulky, tactile products online. But only if you make it easy.

Whether you’re a legacy brand dipping a toe into digital or a fast-scaling startup trying to cut through the noise, the same challenges continue to come up again and again. Here are five pieces of the puzzle that I’ve seen be key to success online. They might seem obvious, but they’re still overlooked more often than you’d think.

📸 1. Treat Your Product Content Like a Showroom

Before anyone reads the specs and fine print, they need to connect with the item. Great product content doesn’t just inform. It helps people picture your product in their space and feel confident hitting “add to cart.”

What smart brands do:

• Invest in real lifestyle photography, not just plain cutouts on a white background
• Show close-up shots of fabric, texture, and construction, plus scale shots that help shoppers understand size and context
• Write copy that makes your materials and quality story clear and relatable. Skip the fluff, keep it honest
• Include video, 360° spins, and scale references that make the product feel real

📦 2. Your Delivery Experience Matters

Once a customer clicks “buy,” your product experience isn’t over. It’s just beginning. The way you handle delivery, damage, and returns leaves just as strong an impression as the fabric or design itself.

What smart brands do:

• Are upfront about lead times, availability, and what happens after checkout.
• Offer tiered delivery options with clear definitions – especially white glove.
• Use packaging that protects and feels premium.
• Create return policies that show confidence in what you’re selling.

💸 3. Pricing Should Make Sense

Pricing doesn’t have to be the lowest, but it should be clear and competitive. Customers will sense if something feels off. Confusing or inconsistent pricing is the fastest way to lose them.

What smart brands do:

• Keep pricing aligned across platforms and channels.
• Avoid hidden fees or confusing fine print.
• Use promotions intentionally, not constantly.
• Let content reinforce value instead of relying on discounts.

🧠 4. Merchandising Isn’t Set and Forget

Good merchandising gets your product across. Great merchandising creates a feeling, tells a story, and evolves with what people want. It should feel fresh, curated, and purposeful, not like something that’s been sitting untouched in a catalog.

What smart brands do:

• Rotate in new colorways and updated lifestyle imagery regularly.
• Lead with inspiration, not just information. Help customers feel it, not just understand it.
• Re-merchandise evergreen SKUs with new angles, pairings, or settings.
• Let data guide the updates. Focus on what’s working and move away from what isn’t.

🧵5. People Still Want the Story

Even online, people want to know what makes your brand different. They want to know who’s behind it, why it exists, and whether they should believe in it and trust it. If you don’t tell that story, someone else will make it up for you.

What smart brands do:

• Talk about materials: where they come from, why they matter, how they feel.
• Share the people behind the brand: founders, makers, design leads.
• Say what differentiates you in a way that’s clear, honest, and easy to believe.
• Build trust by being real. Transparency always wins over over-polished messaging.

🎯 Final Thought

My decade in eCommerce showed me that the brands who succeed online aren’t always the flashiest or the biggest. They’re the ones who adapt quickly, listen to their customers, and treat digital like a primary channel instead of an afterthought.

If you’re in the furniture business and looking to grow online start with content, think critically about logistics, stay agile with your merchandising, be transparent on price, and most importantly, own the story.

You’re not just selling furniture, you’re helping people build spaces that are their home, their sanctuary.

At Regal, we know that great fabric is just the starting point. We work very closely with brands to help bring their products to life both online and off. That includes thoughtful sampling, collaborative product development, and merchandising support that makes fabric part of the bigger product story. Whether you’re launching something new or refining your go-to-market strategy, we’re here to help you make it real.