Pepperfry, Godrej Interio furniture demand surges with WFH

Beyond dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner, people are now investing in a study/computer table or an ergonomic office chair. Ashish Shah, Co-Founder and COO of furniture brand, Pepperfry claims that demand for tables and chairs has gone up by 175 per cent and 135 per cent vis-a-vis June last year. In fact, a recent report by the Retailers Association of India, says that the furniture industry is experiencing winds of revival. Compared to industries such as apparel retail, beauty or F&B which are experiencing a de-growth upwards of 70 per cent, the de-growth in furniture retail has been in the region of 40 per cent. Over 90 per cent of the $30 billion furniture market in India is unorganised, and with many carpenters going out of business during the pandemic, Shah of Pepperfry says that organised players (such as Ikea, Godrej Interio, Pepperfry and Urban Ladder) see a huge growth potential. While tables and chairs are the best sellers, consumers are also buying dining tables and couches, and a bulk of these purchases are happening online. On the other hand, Godrej Interio, is in the process of innovating products that would make work from home easier. The innovations include couches and beds that would come with platforms that would enable people to place their laptops and a host of other WFH accessories.