Petya Karagyozova is a Business Development Manager at FAVI, where she works with online retailers to grow their digital performance and expand into new markets. With a background in media, digital marketing and project management, she brings cross-industry experience in building partnerships and developing sustainable online growth strategies.
How People Buy Furniture Online: B2B and B2C Insights
Petya Karagyozova
FAVI a.s.
Pavlina Honcova
FAVI a.s.
Head of Business Development at FAVI, focused on expanding partnerships and growing markets across Central and Southeastern Europe. Passionate about building strong teams, developing new opportunities, and connecting eCommerce brands with customers searching for furniture and home inspiration.
Recap:
At Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, Petya Karagyozova and Pavlina Honcova explored the complexity of online furniture shopping and explained why furniture purchasing behavior differs significantly from most other eCommerce categories. Drawing from FAVI’s experience across 11 markets and more than 10 million monthly users, the session focused on customer psychology, current market trends, multi-channel behavior, and the importance of understanding the full customer journey when selling furniture online.
Buying Furniture Online Is an Emotional and Long-Term Process
The speakers opened the lecture with personal stories illustrating how furniture purchases are rarely impulsive decisions.
Unlike fashion or fast-moving consumer products,
buying furniture often involves:
- emotional attachment
- budget considerations
- practical constraints
- trust
- measurements
- and long decision-making cycles.
One example described a furniture purchase process that lasted:
more than a year.
The presentation emphasized that:
furniture buying is not a single transaction – it is a journey.
Furniture eCommerce Is Fundamentally Different from Fashion
A major topic in the lecture was the comparison between:
- furniture shopping
- and fashion shopping.
While both categories are emotional,
furniture purchasing is:
- slower
- more research-driven
- more expensive
- and more dependent on trust and validation.
As the speakers explained:
buying shoes may take five minutes,
while buying a sofa can take five weeks or longer.
Furniture purchases require:
- more comparisons
- deeper product validation
- and stronger confidence in the seller.
Almost All Furniture Buyers Use the Internet at Some Point
According to FAVI’s research,
only:
13% of consumers search and purchase furniture completely offline.
The vast majority of customers:
- use digital channels during some stage of the buying journey
- search online
- compare products digitally
- or validate purchases through reviews and online content.
This confirms that:
digital discovery now dominates furniture buying behavior.
Mobile Experience Is Critically Important
One of the strongest trends highlighted was:
the dominance of mobile usage.
Consumers increasingly:
- browse furniture on smartphones
- discover products on social platforms
- and compare products while moving between channels.
Because of this,
website performance becomes essential.
The lecture stressed that:
- fast loading speed
- intuitive navigation
- strong UX
- and mobile optimization
directly influence conversion rates.
Poor mobile experience can quickly result in lost sales.
Gen Z Starts the Journey on TikTok and Instagram
The presentation also explored how:
younger generations are changing furniture discovery behavior.
Gen Z consumers:
- often begin product discovery on TikTok and Instagram
- seek inspiration visually
- and do not necessarily start with Google searches anymore.
This means furniture brands must:
be present where inspiration happens,
not only where transactions happen.
Visual-first platforms now play a critical role in the early stages of the customer journey.
Housing Trends Are Changing Furniture Demand
The speakers highlighted broader economic trends affecting the furniture market,
especially across:
- Czechia
- Hungary
- and Slovakia.
Because housing prices continue to rise,
many younger consumers:
- rent longer
- delay home ownership
- and avoid large expensive furniture purchases.
As a result,
categories such as:
- decorations
- lighting
- and textiles
are growing faster than larger furniture categories.
Smaller Brands and Unique Products Are Becoming More Attractive
Another important trend discussed was the shift away from:
large mass-market furniture brands.
Consumers increasingly prefer:
- smaller retailers
- unique products
- better quality
- and stronger customer service.
Trust, authenticity, and product uniqueness are becoming:
stronger purchase drivers than brand size alone.
AI Is Becoming Part of Furniture Discovery
The lecture also touched on the growing influence of:
AI in furniture search and discovery.
Consumers are beginning to use AI tools while researching furniture,
and companies themselves increasingly rely on AI internally.
However,
the speakers emphasized that:
furniture buying will remain emotionally driven.
AI may improve:
- discovery
- recommendations
- and personalization,
but emotional connection and inspiration will continue to shape final purchasing decisions.
The Furniture Customer Journey Has Four Stages
FAVI described the furniture shopping journey as consisting of:
four main phases:
- Inspiration
- Search
- Comparison
- Validation
Inspiration
Customers first discover ideas visually through:
- TikTok
- online catalogs
- and inspirational content.
Search
Users begin researching:
- categories
- materials
- dimensions
- styles
- and specifications.
Comparison
This is the most competitive stage,
where users compare:
- prices
- reviews
- delivery times
- and retailers.
Validation
Before purchasing expensive furniture,
customers seek reassurance through:
- reviews
- warranties
- recommendations
- and sometimes offline showroom visits.
The presentation demonstrated that:
furniture purchases involve many touchpoints and sessions before conversion.
One example customer journey:
- lasted six weeks
- included more than 20 sessions
- and involved multiple product categories before the final purchase.
Marketing Mix Must Cover the Entire Journey
The speakers stressed that:
successful furniture marketing cannot rely on only one or two channels.
Brands must cover:
- inspiration channels
- search channels
- comparison engines
- and validation touchpoints simultaneously.
The recommendation was to:
- diversify acquisition sources
- avoid overdependence on a single platform
- and evaluate marketing performance holistically rather than channel by channel.
Product Experience and Data Are the Most Important Priorities
At the conclusion of the lecture,
the speakers identified two critical priorities:
Product experience
- mobile-friendly design
- easy navigation
- high-quality images
- strong UX
- and clear presentation.
Data
- correct analytics setup
- proper attribution models
- and data-driven decision-making.
Without reliable data,
businesses risk making blind marketing decisions.
Key Takeaways
The lecture demonstrated that:
furniture shopping is a complex emotional and practical decision-making process
furniture purchases require significantly longer consideration cycles than fashion purchases
most furniture buyers now use online channels during at least part of their journey
mobile optimization and UX are essential for furniture eCommerce success
Gen Z increasingly discovers furniture through TikTok and Instagram rather than traditional search
rising housing costs are shifting demand toward smaller home decor categories
consumers are becoming more interested in smaller retailers and unique products rather than only large brands
trust, reviews, quality, and validation are critical factors in furniture purchasing decisions
AI is becoming part of furniture discovery, but emotional decision-making remains central
the customer journey consists of inspiration, search, comparison, and validation phases
successful marketing strategies must support the entire customer journey across multiple channels
high-quality visuals and strong product presentation are especially important in furniture eCommerce
data and attribution models are essential for making effective marketing decisions
brands should diversify traffic sources and avoid dependence on only one platform or channel.