Office Furniture Retailers Up on their Feet to Meet Female Customers
Office furniture retailers are now scrambling to meet their growing female clientèle’s demands for office chairs and office desks that are fit for their female figures.
Ikea, the Swedish furniture store, has created decor displays aimed at female entrepreneurs, such as a bookstore and hair salon, made available at 29 of its US stores. Ikea, which operates its US headquarters in suburban Conshohocken, Pa., plans to eventually expand the program overseas.
“I think we have just scratched the surface. This is one of our growth engines of the future,” said Pernille Lopez, president of Ikea North America in an interview by the Associated Press.
Lopez expects that small-business owners, particularly females, could eventually account for 10 percent to 15 percent of Ikea’s US business. She also wants Ikea to be a source of networking for women, who practically comprise about 70 percent of their customers. Ikea launched an informational Web site called business.ikea.com, where entrepreneurs can share design ideas and discuss topics such as handling finances. It is also holding events at its stores featuring topics from decorating tips to human resource issues.
On the other hand, OfficeMax, the country’s biggest office supplies retailer worked with female focus groups to get input on the new furniture lines’ design. They have found out that a Broyhill credenza offers more storage than the average computer/printer stand. OfficeMax found that based on consumer research, women had more interest in the Sharper Image brand than men.
As for the Christopher Lowell line for Office Depot, the designer is already on the next trend: Furniture set on wheels that morphs into laptop stations. This trend will include tables that sit behind the back of sofas, wardrobe pieces and credenzas that flip into home office stations that feature retractable cords and storage.
“Even though women have dedicated home offices, they just don’t want to be stuck in their offices,” Lowell said in an interview.
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