Furniture brands to focus on storytelling & personalisation this festive season

It’s already September, and in India, the period between August and November is marked by festive spending - be it on food, clothing, or significant jewellery and furniture. Since Indians don't typically spend as much on furniture throughout the year, it's a good time for brands in this category to be in the market during the festive season.

Furniture brands, however, need to reach potential consumers beyond offers during this time. Storytelling plays an important role in this. 

Take Swedish home furnishing company IKEA, for example. The brand, particularly active in India during Diwali, has cleverly tapped into a familiar experience shared by many Indian households during the festive season. 

Festivals equate to a shared love for food and desserts in our country, and people love gifting sweets when visiting someone. IKEA’s festive campaign last year took this insight and looked to promote its PRUTA food containers. The campaign titled, ‘A gift for all your festive gifts’, showed people exchanging sweets as gifts and amongst them was the product that helped store these sweets. 

Connecting relatable traditions into a selling point for its products helps break through the noise around festive advertisements. Anna Ohlin, Country marketing manager, IKEA India, comments, “There's so much more behind our products than just low prices. We talk a lot about democratic design at IKEA, and that's something we try to communicate to the public—the benefits and stories behind the products.”

She notes that the brand aims to be the everyday low-priced choice and doesn’t want to tempt people only with discounts. This year, the brand wants to speak to consumers as an enabler to making a home feel truly alive. 

“What we're doing this year for Diwali is based on an interesting insight. When people plan a party or any gathering at home, they imagine how nice it will be in certain corners, where they'll chat or play cards. But when the event begins, it rarely turns out the way they imagined, especially in India, where socialising is so warm and fun,” divulges Ohlin.

Speaking to consumer needs with relevant offerings

While consumers are looking for brands that speak to them during the festive period, the consumer sentiment in the furniture category appears to be cautiously optimistic. Dr. Dev Narayan Sarkar, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Business (B2C) at Godrej Interio, the home and office furniture business entity of Godrej & Boyce, part of Godrej Enterprises Group, observes that consumers are showing increased interest in refreshing their living spaces and are also becoming more discerning. They focus on value, quality, and multi-functionality.

While the Indian furniture market size is estimated at USD 28.38 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 47.39 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 10.80% during the forecast period of 2024 to 2029, the festive period is expected to see a mix of spending behaviours. 

Sarkar notes, “On one hand, about 60% of consumers have no immediate plans to purchase major furniture items. On the other, there's sustained interest in smaller, more affordable décor items that can make a significant impact without substantial investment.”

He further continues that the e-commerce sector is projecting a 40% increase in online sales during this period. Early indicators show a 38% rise in Gross Merchandise Value and a 49% increase in orders compared to the previous month, suggesting an earlier-than-usual start to the festive shopping season. 

The rise of aspirational Gen Z consumers and the increasing prominence of direct-to-consumer brands has contributed to this growth.

Additionally, with the post-pandemic resurgence of in-home celebrations and gatherings, there is a strong consumer inclination toward revamping and upgrading living spaces. Given that the festive season often brings an influx of guests, particularly in the living room, Sridhar Balakrishnan, Group CEO, Duroflex says, “In 2024, we expect to see a marked increase in spending, particularly in the Living Room Furniture segment, as consumers prioritise comfort and aesthetics to enhance their festive environments.”

Sleepyhead, a subsidiary of mattress brand Duroflex, appears to be speaking to younger consumers through its marketing activities. During Raksha Bandhan, the brand took to social media to show the strong bond between siblings. 

It compared the portrayal of Raksha Bandhan in Bollywood to real life, highlighting the common sibling squabbles that occur. As the festival unfolded, the brand’s recliners were shown playing a supportive role in these arguments, ultimately emphasising the comfort and strength of both the sibling bond and the brand’s products.

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Balakrishnan says, “It starts with the product. If I had to put it simply, I’d say, we don’t sell mattresses, rather we sell good sleep. Similarly, we don’t sell sofas and recliners; we sell comfort. Our products are designed to meet the sleep and comfort needs of the Indian consumers.”

For this festive season, the brand is placing a strong emphasis on sleep solutions, encouraging consumers to prioritise their eight hours of sleep amidst the festivities. It aims to convey that good sleep solutions make a worthy gift for loved ones, helping them embark on a journey toward a healthier self.

Its recently released campaign for Onam highlights the festival's spirit of care by focusing on the importance of healthy sleep for loved ones. The film depicts a daughter surprising her mother with a new Duroflex mattress, expressing her concern for her mother's well-being and the value of maintaining good sleep habits year-round. 

Additionally, the brand has partnered with regional influencers to support the narrative further. 

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Increased focus on digital and data-driven strategies

While brand storytelling is important when speaking to consumers during the festive season, it is equally important to strategically employ a mix of media channels to maximise reach and impact.

With this, Duroflex’s Sridhar Balakrishnan mentions that the brand’s media basket is a mix of digital and traditional channels with an increased indexation of digital. 

Similarly, Indian furniture and home décor brand, Pepperfry, plans to approach the upcoming festive season with relevant messaging across different channels, ensuring presenting everything under one roof. 

While the brand plans for an integrated marketing approach to not only aim for visibility and eyeballs but also show people relevant offerings, Mahip Dwivedi, VP & Head of Marketing, Pepperfry shares, “Digital is predominantly the most effective medium when it comes to reach, frequency, and maintaining top-of-mind awareness (TOM). When it comes to cohorting, we also rely on native advertising, push notifications, and email.”

The well-planned strategy involves creating various customer cohorts to understand what each customer is likely to buy and reaching out to them with relevant information without disturbing or irritating them. Dwivedi notes that first-party data plays a key role in this strategy, helping the brand engage with customers effectively.

“Our focus during the festive season is ensuring footfall in the store first. We work on OOH, and hyper-local strategies and we plan events and in-store activities like Lucky Draw for offline customers,” Dwivedi continues. 

This year, Pepperfry has launched the campaign ‘PehleTryAtPepperfry’ to encourage consumers to experience furniture in-store before making a purchase. This goes hand-in-hand with consumer sentiments, wherein consumers want to experience a product personally before investing in it.

The campaign takes the importance of making well-informed decisions into consideration by inviting customers to visit the brand's stores and try out products firsthand. Through a series of three video ads that humorously portray the pitfalls of impulsive decisions, such as a bad haircut, hasty marriage plans, and poorly organised trips, the brand highlights how these judgments can lead to regrets. It aims to ensure that customers make choices they are confident about.

Anna Ohlin of IKEA states, “We can't go into specific details, but a full 360-degree marketing plan is crucial. We need to focus on both attracting and activating customers. Our goal is to trigger new people to consider us while ensuring that those who already love us continue to do so, or even more.”

Alongside this, the brand structures its approach by first focusing on attracting through brand building, followed by a push with activation. This involves using films, social media, digital campaigns, and more to achieve its goals. 

“Digital is a key focus, but it's interesting how traditional media still plays a significant role. We're making a concerted effort to connect with OTT platforms. We've done extensive collaborations with The Viral Fever (TVF), YouTube, Google, and are bringing in another partner to help us be present in Indian homes with our messages, almost like a home visit without physically being there. We’re integrating seamlessly into people’s lives, which is something we really value.”

- Anna Ohlin, IKEA

Ohlin notes that India is one of the very few countries where this level of vivid and beautifully connected industry engagement is possible.

Godrej Interio’s Dr. Dev Narayan Sarkar, says that the brand is implementing a comprehensive omnichannel approach. 

“This strategy combines a strong e-commerce presence with an enhanced in-store experience. To streamline the purchasing process, we are leveraging digital tools such as e-catalogues and room planners, while also offering value-added services like expert design consultancy.”

- Dr. Dev Narayan Sarkar, Godrej Interio

He mentions that this blend of digital innovation and personalised service sets the brand apart from unorganised sellers. The company has integrated advanced technologies like Robotic Process Automation to improve backend efficiency and reduce supply chain costs. 

The digital approach also includes an enhanced e-commerce platform featuring intuitive interfaces, virtual reality tools, and tailored product recommendations. Moreover, to support the marketing strategy, Sarkar continues, “The media mix includes print for offer-led communications, digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and OTT services, as well as regional television.”

Trends expected 

The furniture sector is witnessing several interesting consumer trends as brands prepare for the festive season.

Anna Ohlin has observed a shift in focus toward the bedroom during the festive period. She explains, “The bedroom is becoming more significant, particularly in the context of this being the "year of sleep" for us. With guests, cousins, uncles, and other family members visiting, there's a growing need for space, and the bedroom is a key area people are focusing on. We’re seeing an increase in activities like refreshing the bedroom, cleaning it up, organising wardrobes, and decluttering. One trend we're noticing is the increasing importance of the bedroom during the festive period.” 

This includes updating essentials like sheets and towels to accommodate guests, reflecting a broader trend of the bedroom becoming a crucial part of festive preparations.

Dr. Dev Narayan Sarkar notes that the market is buoyed by a young, affluent demographic eager to upgrade their lifestyles. 

“The demand for minimalist, multifunctional furniture is surging, especially in urban areas, with a projected growth of 11.5% annually. Smart furniture integrating IoT technology is also gaining traction.” 

To meet these evolving needs, the industry’s focus has been on providing better value through high-quality, tech-integrated products that offer flexibility in interior design.

Ultimately, the focus has been on the importance of comfort and warmth, particularly for living room furniture designed for relaxation. Considering the living room is set to play a crucial role in consumers’ festivities, this insight needs to be noted. 

Sridhar Balakrishnan of Duroflex also points out that the industry is moving towards personalising furniture and shopping at large format stores.  

Personalization: Customising furniture is becoming increasingly popular. People want their homes to represent their identities, to express their creativity. 

Inclination towards large format stores: Prospective buyers prefer big stores that offer a large variety of furniture and furnishings under one roof.

As the festive season begins in full swing, furniture brands in India are tapping into consumer sentiments by blending storytelling, digital innovation, and personalised experiences. The brands in the category are going beyond mere discounts to create meaningful connections through their campaigns. The focus on conveying relatability through humourous narratives, enhanced in-store experiences, and a robust digital presence is set to help these brands effectively reach out to consumers.