Shopping for furniture in person can be a stressful experience. Sitting on every sofa to see if one is just the right amount of soft with a salesperson pushing you to get it while trying to convince you to grab a rug and an accent chair while you’re at it. No thanks!
This negative experience with furniture shopping has pushed many customers to shop online rather than in the store, opening up options that they otherwise probably wouldn’t think to seek out!
Furniture rental is one of these unexpected options that really is perfect for many people, but when you’re in the thick of things and looking at all your options, you’ll probably find yourself making a decision between going with a national furniture rental company and a local furniture renter.
How do you know you’re getting the best value for your rental? At Furniture Options, we’ve been helping customers get the most out of their furniture rental experience for over 35 years.
Local and national rental companies each offer benefits that fit the needs of different consumers. Let’s dive into these differences so you can make an informed decision for your next furniture order.
There are numerous reasons a local rental furniture company makes a great option for shoppers in need of temporary furnishings. As with everything, however, there are some things to be aware of before making your choice between a local and national provider.
One of the most immediate benefits to subscribing to a local company is their specialized options. Typically local furniture providers have styles typical of your area more readily available than a national company. Locations across the U.S. have wildly varying styles associated with the area. Coastal cities may have more coastal style furnishings, mountainous regions may feature more natural wood furniture, etc.
With your local furniture provider you are sure to find pieces specialized to your area as well as modern and trendy pieces to fit any style.
Local companies are smaller than national chains, however, which likely means you’ll have fewer options to choose from, over all, than you would with a national company.
One area local companies use to set themselves apart is in their delivery service. Delivery from local furniture renters are often faster than national companies because these smaller companies typically keep their furniture in the same city. By keeping the furniture on hand, local providers are able to get your furniture on its way to you, sometimes as fast as 48 hours after your order!
The downside to having the furniture all in one place is deliveries typically can’t be made outside of a designated service area. This service area changes depending on the company, but will usually be between 50 and 100 miles from the company location.
If your local furniture provider does deliver outside of their normal service area, it may cost extra to get it to you.
One obvious benefit of working with a local furniture renter is you will work with a local customer support team that can take action to assist you much faster than a national provider can.
This enables customers to customize their furnishings more so than they could with a national company, even to the point of switching out furniture if you don’t like what you received! Because the company is in your area, you might be able to get new furniture within 2 days if something were to go wrong with your order.
Another added benefit of shopping local is supporting your local economy. When you shop at any local store you know the money is going into supporting vital infrastructure all around you, including things you directly benefit from like road and park maintenance!
There is not much difference between what you’ll pay at a local company and a national provider. Each option is priced competitively, though you may find more deals and discounts from a national company.
Many local furniture renters have a clearance section where they offer furniture at a huge discount, though these furnishings are typically well used and may be outdated.
National companies are quite a bit larger than local companies (go figure!) and with that comes some pros and cons that make choosing this type of company a better decision for some shoppers and a worse one for others. Here’s a look at how subscribing to a national rental furniture company compares to renting from a local provider.
One of the most immediate positives you’ll find when working with a national provider is the wide variety of options they provide. National companies typically offer more furniture options than local companies, as they have more storage facilities and a wider customer base whose more diverse needs must be filled.
The quality of the furnishings depends on the provider, but generally you can expect your furniture to have a similar quality to what you’ll find at a local company.
A downside you may encounter when renting furniture from a national retailer is a long delivery time. Those same storage facilities that allow large companies to provide more options are spread out all over the country or all over the world in some cases, meaning your furniture may take weeks to months to arrive.
If you have a lot of willpower and time to spare this may still be the better option for you depending on your needs, otherwise a local provider may be the better bet.
National companies are typically capable of providing more constant support options with large, 24/7 customer service teams. These teams are dedicated to working on your behalf, whereas a local customer support rep may have other jobs they must juggle.
Despite having a dedicated team, national companies do encounter more customers that require assistance, so help with your furniture may be slower and less personalized than a local company can provide.
Many consumers will find the cost of furniture at a national company is comparable to that of a local provider. National companies do have more overhead than smaller companies, but they also are able to use economies of scale to keep costs down in other areas.
One area that national furniture providers do excel in is in discounts and promotions run throughout the year. National furniture providers often run discounts on different products, usually tied to a specific point in the year like a holiday, season, or anniversary.
These discounts can make an impact on the overall cost of your furniture order.
National providers also usually have a larger clearance furniture section and maybe even an online clearance center! These options are usually older and have been used for several years, but are offered at a major discount.
When choosing a rental furniture provider, there are tons of choices available to you. National and local companies each offer benefits over the other that makes them a better choice for different consumers.
After reading this article, you are now ready to make your decision between a national and local rental furniture provider.
If a local company seems like the best option for you, Furniture Options is a great choice for temporary furniture shoppers throughout the Midwest. With local teams in 12 cities from Houston, TX to Des Moines, IA, we are perfectly situated to offer customers the perks of a larger company, with the personalized service and fast delivery times of a local provider.
Our employee-owners are dedicated to fast, easy service. Making furniture deliveries within 48 hours of your order, contactless delivery and pick up, and working with you to ensure a fantastic rental experience is just part of what we do.
Want to learn more and subscribe to Furniture Options? Peruse our blog for important information to make an informed decision about your rental options then select your city to subscribe to your perfect home furnishings.