Max Sparrow opens third furniture showroom

octomedia

5th Apr 2016

Last month online furniture retailer Max Sparrow, which is owned by Coco Republic, opened a showroom in Richmond, Melbourne, after successful bricks and mortar openings in Sydney and Brisbane.

“Recently we found that approximately 75 per cent of online orders involve an interaction with showrooms,” Anthony Spon Smith, executive director, Coco Republic and Max Sparrow, told Internet Retailing. 

“As anticipated, this shows that whilst the online platform is undoubtedly successful on its own, the showrooms do aid online sales.”

Max Sparrow began its ‘click to bricks’ strategy in 2013, opening a pop-up showroom in Sydney, which lead to a permanent store. In April 2015, the business jumped at the opportunity to set up a showroom in Brisbane.

“Foot traffic for both Sydney and Brisbane fluctuates, but on the whole is encouraging, as both do not have street frontage,” said Spon Smith.

“Melbourne clearly leads the way in terms of foot traffic, which can likely be attributed to the location on Church Street. It’s a real destination store for Max Sparrow and is truly reflective of the grandeur of the brand.”

E-commerce remains at the heart of Max Sparrow, as an important destination to research and transact.

“Our online store and bricks and mortar showrooms have a cyclical and symbiotic relationship. The website acts as an information source, a catalogue so to speak,” said Spon Smith.

“The e-commerce platform acquires online traffic, while the physical showrooms provide a place for consumers to view the quality before placing an order. Most customers will have done their research online before visiting to view a specific piece or product category. Our showrooms are destination stores with a capsule collection, supplemented by the website.”