As eCommerce has taken the world by storm, the challenge has been to find sellers that go above and beyond to provide excellent service. Australian-based LivingStyles is one of these exceptional online traders, bringing together a team that handles furniture and homewares online. As worthy winners of Corporate Vision’s eCommerce and Online Retail Award for Best Online Home Furnishings Retailer – Australia 2019, we take a closer look at the company to find out more.
Brought together by a love of furnishings, the team at LivingStyles excels in finding the highestquality furniture and homewares at a competitive price. Drawing on a large customer base, spread across the whole of Australia, the business is able to buy in bulk directly from the brand, passing on the savings to LivingStyles members.
Like all good retailers, LivingStyles has thrived thanks to an intimate knowledge of its products and immense respect for customers. While the business finds the latest and best design trends and products, customers can enjoy the benefits of free membership, discounted prices, reliable delivery and excellent customer service for those post-sales needs.
Supplying large items like furniture online could be considered odd, but LivingStyles has taken the approach of making it an innovation. While customers are unable to physically touch or see their products, the team provides as much information as possible about the item, with returns policies allowing customers to change their minds if necessary. With the ability to provide more design choices at a price that beats bricks-and-mortar stores, it can be of no surprise that this approach has taken off.
Taking advantage of the opportunities that being online presents, LivingStyles has used social media platforms to grow its audience. With Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, it has proven possible not only to share design ideas with customers, but to expand the website’s reach into new audiences while creating a community of people interested in interior design. In the competitive world of online retail, the need to stay at the forefront of the technological battlefield is crucial. The logistics team always strives to improve order processing systems by developing unique programs to process transactions rapidly and ensure a quick turnaround.
The streamlined option system, for example, allows customers to select the delivery method they prefer, allowing them the satisfaction of receiving their goods safely without paying more. Couriers or removalists are chosen based on their appropriateness and economy, with these savings once again passed onto the customer. With such an individual approach, it cannot be surprising that an individual team drives LivingStyles forward. Uniquely motivated to provide a service of the highest calibre, the organisation is comprised of technical and industry expertise in furniture manufacturing, retail sales, graphics, editing, logistics and customer service. Because it is still only a small company, the importance of every team member operating on the same page is paramount.
At the heart of LivingStyles is a commitment to sharing goals and celebrating milestones, generally making sure that fun is had whenever possible. In the future, LivingStyles intends to make the most of the latest in technology with a program called O2O – Online to Office. This plan involves the opening of a furniture showroom with new technology displays alongside present customer features.
These plans will complement the work of the website, while providing the option of face-toface interaction between the sales team and the customer. It is hoped that this approach will give customers more confidence in the excellent work of LivingStyles.
A business proposition like LivingStyles could not have worked twenty years ago. Now it is a matter of convenience for the customer. Not only able to provide an impressive range of products but handling the delivery of awkward items to their new homes, LivingStyles has revolutionised the furnishings industry in Australia.
Company: Livingstyles.com.au Contact: Customer Service Team Email: service@livingstyles.com.au Web Address: www.livingstyles.com.au
