illoom, 2020: The Year of 'All-in-Room, Untact Shopping, and Home Office'

Furniture with Varied Styles and Spaces, New Product Launches Reflecting Consumer Needs Become Commonplace

From the top left clockwise ▲ iloom 'Placer Motion Lounge Bed' ▲ iloom 'Dana Motion Bed' ▲ iloom 'Glen Series' ▲ iloom 'Castanets Custom Cat Tower' [Photo by iloom]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a remarkable transformation in residential culture. Homes have evolved from mere spaces for rest into multifunctional areas serving as schools, offices, cafes, and hobby spaces.

Accordingly, consumers have begun paying more attention to home interiors tailored to their individual needs, driving growth in the furniture market alongside new trends in the furniture industry. According to data released by Statistics Korea on the 7th, last year's retail sales of furniture recorded a provisional figure of 10.1865 trillion KRW, a 23.8% increase compared to 2019.

Illoom, the lifestyle furniture brand under the Fursys Group, analyzed its data from the past year and summarized notable changes in the furniture industry with keywords. The keywords selected by Illoom are ▲All-in-Room ▲Untact Shopping ▲Home Office.

'All-in-Room', versatile furniture popular according to individual tastes and spaces

As homes evolved from simple resting spaces to multifunctional areas, furniture that can be used for various purposes according to personal preferences gained popularity.

Illoom's upcoming product, the 'Placer Motion Lounge Bed', scheduled for release next month, offers comfort akin to flying first class on an airplane and creates a convenient space perfectly suited to lifestyles such as home cinema, relaxation, and remote work.

At the end of last year, a promotion was held where consumers could directly experience the product and make pre-purchase reservations, receiving positive feedback. The experience zone, which ran for about a month, recorded over 500 reservation applications, and all pre-order reservations prepared in a limited quantity of 50 units were completed.

Illoom's 'Dana Motion Bed' not only serves its primary function as a bed but can also be used as a desk or sofa, transforming into various forms such as a home office or home theater. It is practical for use in small spaces and has shown steady sales growth since its first introduction in December 2019.

Sales in the second half of last year increased by 20% compared to the first half, averaging 200 units sold per month. Additionally, as home styling to create spaces reflecting one's desired sensibility and taste gained popularity, sales of Illoom's home cafe series 'Lema' and 'Gusto' also increased.

'Untact Shopping', lowering barriers to online furniture shopping through non-face-to-face communication with consumers

Illoom led sales growth by conducting live broadcasts that communicate with consumers in real time online. In December last year, Illoom held a live broadcast on its official Instagram channel to celebrate the launch of the new pet furniture product 'Castanets Custom Cat Tower', together with Kim Meju, a popular YouTuber from a cat channel.

Following the live broadcast, consumer interest in the Castanets series increased, directly boosting sales. Sales in December last year grew by 50.2% compared to the previous month.

Illoom's online sales also showed growth. Over the past year, sales on Illoom's official mall increased by 63% compared to the previous year. It is analyzed that live broadcasts offering detailed product information through real-time two-way communication and sincere purchase reviews from previous users helped lower the entry barriers to buying furniture online.

Reflecting the needs of online consumers who prioritize cost-effectiveness, Illoom continues to introduce online-exclusive products with compact configurations and reasonable prices.

Essential to have a proper work environment at home, increasing demand for 'Home Office' products

As remote work has become widespread in many companies, more people are creating proper work environments at home, leading to increased sales of home office furniture. Illoom's representative home office product is the Glen series, which saw an 8.3% increase in sales last year compared to the previous year. The Glen series features various bookshelves and desks that can be freely combined to create a home office space tailored to one's lifestyle.

In response to consumer needs, Illoom launched 'Mendy', suitable for single-person households living in compact spaces. Mendy is a package consisting of a bed, desk, and partition bookshelf, excellently separating work and rest areas. With the rise in home office demand, it is ideal for office workers or students who want to enhance work and study efficiency while maintaining work-life balance.