Ordering Service vs. DIY
Picture this; you are finally turning the keys to your newly renovated home. You’ve painstakingly selected paint colors and worked with a designer to make sure that every window is adorned with the perfect curtains that beautifully match your favorite vintage wallpaper. Every design selection and meticulous detail has brought you one step closer to your dream house, but as you step inside everything looks, well, empty.
With no furniture, lamps, end tables, and ottomans, your new, beautiful house doesn’t quite feel like a home yet.
Then you think to yourself, people purchase furniture for their homes every day, and if they can do it why can’t you? But with growing fees, endless computer tabs, and 10+ delivery dates to manage, you start to ask yourself, shouldn’t there be a better way?
Let’s take a step back and ask, what’s the best solution for you? Utilizing Inside Stories Ordering Service or DIY?
At Inside Stories we see the value in educating our clients in all aspects of the design process so that you feel informed and confident in your choices every step of the way. That’s why in this month’s blog we are going to teach you on the differences between retail vs. wholesale.
DIY (retail)
When you decide to go the DIY route when working with our design team here’s a little information on how that process will go:
Following our visual interactive presentation, you will be presented with item links within the final budget. You will order directly from retail vendors, as your budget and timeline allow. Be prepared to do the heavy lifting on your own, however we are just a phone call away and can help at our hourly rate as needed.
Going this route, you will handle the following:
– Deal directly with the vendors with any shipping delays, delivery coordination, etc.
– Handle all refunds & exchanges for any damages or incorrect items
– Unpack all the boxes, set up and assemble all furniture
– Hang all artwork
– Dealing with the recycling & trash
Much of the allure of the retail (DIY) route is attributed to the notion that you can buy your furnishings at your leisure, and as you can afford them, rather than purchasing in one “bulk” order. And while this process might be a short-term budget solution, in reality, retail stores typically have a 2-3x mark-up compared to wholesale pricing. Which means your bill could end up being much higher at the end of the whole process.
And while you can wait for a sale to pop-up, you then might have to worry about limited stock or long wait times.
IS Ordering Service (wholesale)
When you go with Inside Stories furniture selection and purchasing service, our in-house purchasing team will create all specifications and generate a finalized proposal for your review and approval. Once approved we will place, track and deliver all items.
And not to worry, we handle any all issues that arise during the purchasing phase! Our long-established relationships with vendors help us communicate effectively so that any problems that arise are solved quickly with no trouble to you as a consumer.
Our team will also handle all aspects of your professional installation so that you can simply walk into your new space for an amazing reveal.
Another benefit of ordering wholesale is that you get access to Inside Stories’ extensive vendor list which includes hundreds of furnishings and unique pieces to give you a more curated design. You will be able to select from a wider range of options than if you were to choose to shop through a common retail site.
Best of all, we are transparent about our mark up and fees up front so you will know exactly how much you will be paying upfront. But if purchasing in bulk is a budget concern, we encourage you to look into our financing option where you can turn a large purchase into affordable monthly payments. By financing your project, you can benefit from our wholesale pricing in a way that is comfortable with your budget.
To learn more about financing your project, visit our website: https://insidestories.com/enhancify/
Here are some examples of the same product sold wholesale vs. retail:
Our main goal through offering our purchasing services is that it allows your team to do the work for you, so that on move-in day, your home is ready to be lived in and LOVED! But whether you choose the wholesale or retail route, you can rest assured that our team will be there for you every step of the way. If you have questions about ordering wholesale vs. retail, we encourage you to contact our design team.