When buying home furniture, you have many options, from big-box stores to independent local retailers. If you're looking for a unique piece of furniture you're unlikely to spot in someone else's living room, shopping locally for your furniture may be an excellent option.
Many local furniture retailers offer a high-quality experience, so much so that “thrifting” and “antiquing” are popular pastimes and have even spawned reality shows. When shopping at local retailers, you may find quality and handmade products, knowledgeable staff and even makers who can customize your furniture.
Here are five benefits to shopping locally for your furniture.
When shopping locally for furniture, you may come across some unique brands or even one-of-a-kind pieces. Instead of buying a mass-produced chair from the big blue and yellow store—the same chair you've seen in friends' or neighbors' homes—you could buy a restored piece of antique furniture that will be a conversation starter.
If you shop from a furniture maker instead of a furniture store, you could access even more customizability. For example, if you have an oddly shaped nook in your home and you just can't seem to find an appropriate end table to fit in the space, a local furniture maker could customize an existing design or even design a whole new piece, giving you a truly one-of-a-kind heirloom for your home.
Buying furniture in person at a local retailer is often a completely different experience than shopping online or at a big-box store—and part of that experience is the expertise of the staff. For instance, staff at the local vintage furniture store may have the backstory on that mid-century modern (or, MCM) chair you've been eyeballing. You can also try out the furniture and see it in person—an option not available when shopping online.
The experience of shopping locally can also be more appealing to some, as the stores often aren't optimized around maximizing revenue and are instead intended to showcase the furniture in the best possible light.
If you're interested in supporting your local economy and using your hard-earned dollars to support businesses in your city or state, shopping locally for home furniture is a good choice. Think of it this way: If your neighbor operates a furniture reupholstering shop in town, you're helping them put food on the table and keep the lights on by shopping at their store. Plus, you get a beautiful piece of furniture restored to your liking. Win-win!
Shopping locally also contributes to public infrastructure—52.9% of your dollars are recirculated when you shop locally, as opposed to 13.6% of money spent at chain retailers.2 Buying your furniture locally isn't just an investment in your home, but also in your community.
One of the advantages of shopping at a local retailer is possibly benefiting from the expertise of the more knowledgeable staff. When shopping locally, take a moment to share your project plans with the store's employees. They may offer alternate ideas that are better suited to your unique needs.
For example, if you're struggling with the layout of an unusual room and you're looking for a specific piece of furniture to complete the space, bring a sketch of the layout while shopping. The staff at the local retailer may be able to help you tweak the layout or suggest an alternative that will work better.
Depending on where the furniture is made, shopping locally can benefit the environment. While big-box stores or online retailers may be convenient and cost-effective, often delivering right to your door, these conveniences may come with a bigger carbon footprint. Products from online retailers are often fabricated overseas and shipped many miles to land at your home. Here are some possible environmental benefits of buying items that are sourced and made locally:
- Fewer greenhouse gas emissions: Locally made furniture is better for the environment because the products don't have to travel as far, which means their carbon footprint will be lower.3
- Less toxic: Locally made and sourced furniture is often more sustainable and may also (but not always) be fabricated from more sustainable products. The production process may use fewer toxic chemicals, or the furniture may even be thrifted, recycled or secondhand and diverted from a landfill.4
- Less waste: In many cases, locally made products will not be shipped in heavy packaging, which can include nonrecyclable materials like plastic and styrofoam. This type of waste makes up nearly a third of solid waste in the U.S., and shopping locally helps you avoid adding to that figure.3
Shopping for furniture locally may not be as convenient as browsing an online retailer's listings, clicking the “purchase" button and having it arrive at your doorstep. Still, buying locally has a host of other benefits. Buying locally made and sourced items can be better for the environment and your local economy. Buying from local makers can also set your home apart from the crowd, giving you a chance to add one-of-a-kind items to your space that will be conversation pieces for years to come.
If you're unsure where to start your local furniture shopping journey, try Synchrony HOME™ locator to find Synchrony HOME retailer partner location s from a wide variety of categories that are in your area.
READ MORE: Splurge or Save: Home Furnishings ROI