Hanssem and Livart Enhance 'Next-Day Delivery'
Following Coupang, Ali Also Strengthens Furniture Delivery
Fierce Competition Among Companies... "Next-Day Delivery Is Essential"
Furniture delivery services that allow customers to receive their orders the next day, just like food delivery, are emerging as a key competitive advantage. Traditionally, furniture was considered to take a long time from order to delivery, but now it is standard to be able to specify the desired delivery date, and in some cases, delivery can be made as early as the next day. This change has come about as a result of competition with e-commerce companies emphasizing fast delivery. Consumers are also choosing furniture based on when it will be delivered.
According to the furniture industry on the 7th, Hanssem has decided to strengthen its ‘Next Day Delivery’ service, which delivers furniture the day after ordering. This service was first introduced by Hanssem in 2019, making it the first in the furniture industry. Hanssem recently temporarily suspended this service to enhance the operation and management system of its delivery service. They plan to optimize installation schedules and delivery dates, and add real-time estimated arrival information to the service. During the suspension of the Next Day Delivery service, Hanssem will operate a substitute service called ‘Customer Request Lead Time Reduction.’ In addition to ‘Next Day Delivery,’ Hanssem also operates scheduled delivery services that allow customers to specify delivery dates from a minimum of 1 day up to 30 days.
Hyundai Livart has also been offering a next-day delivery service for home furniture purchased both online and offline since 2021. This service delivers all home furniture items the next day. Hyundai Livart’s service is available for all home furniture products purchased by 12 PM on weekdays and delivered to the metropolitan areas including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. Customers can also select their preferred delivery time. Recently, to strengthen the service, Hyundai Livart increased its delivery and installation staff by 10% and operates a dedicated logistics team of about 20 people.
A Hyundai Livart representative explained, "The number of customers applying for the ‘Next Day Delivery’ service has steadily increased, and in February, the service operation rate approached 90%. We will continue various efforts to enhance customer convenience, including expanding dedicated personnel."
Delivering furniture the next day requires massive investment. Because furniture is bulky, large logistics warehouses are necessary to stock inventory. The reason it usually takes from as short as one week to as long as over a month to deliver furniture after ordering is that many items are made to order due to the inability to stock inventory.
Moreover, unlike food delivery, furniture delivery often requires additional installation work inside the home. No matter how much inventory is stocked, if there are not enough installation technicians, next-day delivery services cannot be provided. Nevertheless, furniture companies are investing heavily in delivery services because delivery has become a major factor in consumers’ furniture purchasing decisions.
Currently, besides furniture companies, Coupang has also entered the next-day furniture delivery market. Through its ‘Rocket Installation’ service, if customers order before 2 PM, they can receive furniture such as beds, sofas, and dining tables the next day, just like other Rocket products. Additionally, Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress has launched a ‘Large Item Express’ service offering free delivery for large furniture items, strengthening its delivery services. It is expected that next-day delivery will become possible once a domestic logistics center is established within the year.
A furniture industry insider said, "Next-day delivery service has become a necessity, not a choice, as furniture companies must compete not only among themselves but also with e-commerce companies. As consumers become accustomed to next-day furniture delivery, they have started to consider how quickly products can be delivered as an important factor alongside price and quality when choosing products."
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