Bryght Alcott Sofa

The holidays are upon us and that means retail shopping will be in full swing. Or does it? Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that foot traffic to stores in November and December plunged from 38 billion in 2010 to 17 billion in 2013. This power shift from traditional brick-and-mortar retail shops to online storefronts is stronger than ever. With the availability of comparison shopping and review sites, consumers are spending more time researching to ensure they find the right product at the right price.

Even the savviest shopper would be shocked to learn that there isn’t a hard rule for pricing goods. Most retailers use a standard industry mark-up of around 50 percent. When you purchase a piece of furniture from a showroom, odds are it has been marked up by four separate middle-parties: the factory, the importer, the distributor, and the retailer. Brands that sell entirely online eliminate the significant costs associated with the conventional supply chain, and give back to consumers what was taken from the – cost savings. 

The latest furniture brand to make a positive change for its customers is Vancouver-based startup Bryght, an online high-end furniture retailer that cuts out the middleman and connects world-renowned designers and manufacturers directly with consumers. As a result, Bryght’s prices are 50 - 70 percent lower than typical retail. A best seller, the Alcott Sofa, is offered at $1,699 whereas traditional retailers would sell the same piece for $3,500, leaving Bryght customers with a $1,800 cost savings.

These savings are due to the abbreviated journey that the Alcott Sofa must take to arrive in a customer’s living room. The typical path is from factory to importer to distributor to warehouse, and then to a customer’s home. Along the way, retailers rent large showrooms and hire salespeople to sell the furniture – ultimately adding the cost of renting the warehouse and salesperson’s wages to the consumer. At Bryght, the collections are carefully sourced directly from top international designers and bypass the long trek through distributors, importers and brick-and-mortar establishments. 

Always customer-centric, Bryght validates the customer’s need to touch and feel home furniture prior to purchasing by sending free fabric swatches upon request and extending a no-questions-asked return policy. Consumers are offered a 30-day home trial period with only $49 shipping and $49 returns to the continental U.S. Customer orders are grouped and placed every 7-10 days to ensure a shipping container is full before shipment. On average, delivery time is four to six weeks.

Gone are the days of high-end furniture with high mark-ups. Grossly inflated retail prices will turn any holiday shopper into a Scrooge. So grab a cup of eggnog and cozy up in front of the computer. The online shopping scene is the place to be - and who wouldn’t want a piece of high-end furniture to bryght-en up their home for the holidays?