With autumn moving seasons, weddings, and the start of the new school year approaching, the furniture industry is intensifying its competition over 'packages' that offer entire spaces rather than individual items. The strategy involves increasing the number of products purchased per customer by bundling bookshelves and storage units to create study rooms, or pairing beds with storage furniture to furnish entire bedrooms. According to the furniture industry on the 2nd, Shinsegae Casa Casamia's study furniture 'Arc' saw sales increase by approximately 75% over the past two weeks compared to the two weeks immediately prior to its launch. Released in late July, Arc is a product that combines desks, bookshelves, and storage units to transform an entire study space into something resembling a library.
This competition for space packages is particularly evident in students' rooms at the start of the new school term. Hyundai Libate proposes customizing student rooms through its space-specific package 'THE ROOM,' transforming elementary school students' rooms into 'mini-libraries' and middle/high school students' rooms into 'study cafes.' Mini-libraries include sofa booths, staircase bookshelves, desks, wardrobes, and bunk beds, while study cafes feature cafe benches, mobile tables, and sliding beds. Casamia also strengthened its student room and study furniture offerings in response to the autumn new school term and interior design season. It added modular shelving units to its 'Bruno' series to create a 'total study' setup alongside existing desks, and introduced height-adjustable functionality to its motion desk 'New Libero' to accommodate users from elementary students to adults, thereby enhancing usability.
Demand for student rooms is also reflected in sales performance. Hansem's student room furniture series 'Joy S2' and 'Joy A' saw combined sales during the peak new school term period this year increase by 172% compared to the previous quarter. The 'Live-up Motion Table,' which allows parents and children to read and study together in a living room setting, also recorded a 78% sales increase during the same period. Sales based on entire spaces are expanding to include living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and more.
The slump in the furniture industry is fueling this competition. Hansem's sales for the first half of this year amounted to 816.7 billion won, a 9.6% decrease compared to the same period last year, while Hyundai Libate recorded 729.1 billion won, down 14%. The calculation is that by expanding package sales during periods with clear demand such as moving seasons, wedding preparations, and the new school term, companies can increase both the number of items purchased per customer and the total spending amount.
With the autumn peak season approaching, the industry has launched efforts to attract high-value customers. Hyundai Libate is holding a 'Rhythm Festa' until the 30th of this month, offering additional discount rates ranging from 3% to 10% as purchase amounts for sofas, recliners, beds, and mattresses increase from 2 million won to 8 million won. Discount events by space category, including bedrooms, living rooms, and storage areas, are also being rolled out sequentially. Hansem is offering products worth up to 5 million won depending on the purchase amount when customers buy a package of four categories: kitchens, bathrooms, storage, and windows/doors. A furniture industry representative stated, "As overall furniture demand has contracted, companies have no choice but to compete for a limited pool of customers." They added, "Proposing products by space rather than individual items creates an effect of bundling customers through linked purchases, leading companies to strengthen related products and services."
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