Why Furniture eCommerce Doesn’t Follow the Rules: Inside the Real Customer Journey with FAVI

For years, eCommerce strategies have been built around traffic acquisition and performance metrics. But in high-consideration categories like furniture, the reality is far more complex: customer journeys are longer, less predictable, and shaped by multiple touchpoints before a purchase is made.

During the Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, Petya Karagyozova and Pavlina Honcova shared a practical perspective on how people actually buy furniture online today - from inspiration and comparison to trust-building and final decision-making. Drawing on insights from multiple markets and working with a wide network of retailers, they broke down what truly drives conversions in this category, why many common assumptions fall short, and how brands can build a more effective, market-adapted marketing mix. In this interview, we explore customer behavior in furniture eCommerce, the differences between B2C and B2B dynamics, and what retailers need to do to stay competitive in an increasingly complex and AI-driven landscape.

During your session at Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, what were the key insights attendees gained about customer behavior in furniture eCommerce?

Attendees gained a realistic view of how people actually buy furniture online today. In this segment, the customer journey is rarely linear or driven by a single channel. We shared insights into how customers discover products, compare options and build trust before making a purchase decision. The presentation focused on the role of different marketing channels across the journey, and how a well-balanced mix can influence outcomes much more effectively than focusing on performance alone.

At FAVI, we work with a wide range of retailers across multiple markets, which gives us a unique perspective on how these patterns repeat - but also how they differ locally. We also covered practical examples from both international brands expanding into new markets and local retailers scaling their presence, highlighting what works, what doesn’t, and why strategies need to adapt across markets.

Furniture is a high-consideration purchase. What makes customer behavior in this category different from other eCommerce segments?

Furniture is fundamentally different from most eCommerce categories because the decision is rarely immediate. Unlike more spontaneous purchases such as fashion, buying furniture is often a long-term decision. For many customers, it is an investment they expect to live with for years, which naturally makes the process more thoughtful and less impulsive.

Customers invest significantly more time in research, comparison and validation. They often interact with multiple touchpoints - from inspiration channels to search, online platforms like FAVI and retailer websites - before making a decision. Another important factor is the role of practical considerations. Beyond price and design, customers need to evaluate dimensions, fit and how a product will integrate into their space, which adds an additional layer of complexity to the decision-making process. As a result, the path to purchase is longer, less predictable and much more influenced by how consistently a brand appears across different stages of the journey.

What are the key differences between B2C and B2B when it comes to buying furniture online?

From our perspective at FAVI, the difference between B2C and B2B is not just about the customer — it’s about balancing two interconnected sides of the same ecosystem.

On the B2C side, our focus is on creating a loyal user database — the space people turn to first when looking for furniture. Across many markets, our research shows that FAVI ranks among the top-of-mind brands for furniture. We aim to offer a rich variety of options and build enjoyable, seamless experiences for our users. These customers are driven by inspiration, preferences, and the need to make the right decision, so their journey is often long and non-linear. Their engagement translates into valuable traffic and demand, which ultimately benefits our partners.

On the B2B side, FAVI acts as a marketing tool for e-shops, helping them reach the loyal audience we’ve cultivated. Here, the focus is on building strong, sustainable partnerships with retailers. We support partner visibility, brand awareness, and product discovery across the customer journey, ensuring high-quality traffic and sustainable growth.

What makes this dynamic interesting is that success depends on aligning both sides. A strong supply of relevant products and reliable partners improves the customer experience, while consistent user demand creates value for the partners. In that sense, B2C and B2B are deeply connected - and growth happens when both sides are working together effectively.

Across the markets you work in, what are the biggest factors that actually drive conversions - and are they different from what most retailers assume?

At FAVI, we consistently observe that the comparison and inspiration phases are often underestimated, even though it is where many final decisions are made. It is important for retailers to focus on how they present their products - with images, detailed information, key parameters, and appealing design and aesthetics - not just on price, as emotions play a big role in purchase decisions. At the same time, local market dynamics play a critical role - and are often overlooked. Factors such as logistics, infrastructure and cultural behavior can significantly influence conversion rates.

For example, in markets like Greece, geographic complexity - including islands - directly impacts delivery options, and many retailers underestimate how much this affects purchase decisions. In Romania, logistics and infrastructure can be a major challenge, especially for retailers without strong local partners. In Bulgaria, price sensitivity remains a key factor, while in larger markets like Italy, regional differences often require more localized marketing approaches rather than a single national strategy. These differences highlight that strategies do not translate directly across markets. Customer behavior, channel effectiveness and trust levels vary significantly, which means that adapting the marketing mix locally is essential for driving sustainable results.

Many furniture retailers struggle with long decision cycles and abandoned carts. What strategies have you seen work best to move customers from inspiration to purchase?

The most effective strategies focus on supporting the entire journey, rather than trying to force conversion too early. From our experience at FAVI, brands that maintain consistent visibility across multiple touchpoints are significantly more successful in shortening the decision cycle and improving conversion rates. Remarketing plays a key role here, reminding customers of products they’ve viewed and guiding them back to complete their purchase.

Equally important is the website experience: making it easy for customers to add products to the cart, offering flexible payment options, clear delivery choices, and minimizing distractions or unexpected costs at the final step. A smooth, intuitive UX reduces friction and ensures that the inspiration phase converts into actual purchases efficiently.

Looking ahead, how do you see customer expectations evolving in this category - and what should online retailers start preparing for now?

Customer expectations are shifting towards greater transparency and convenience, with a strong emphasis on trust. Reviews play an increasingly important role in this, helping customers make more confident decisions, with solutions like FAVI Extra being one example of how verified feedback can support this process.

At the same time, personalization and relevance are becoming essential, as customers want to quickly find products that match their needs without excessive effort.

Looking ahead, the rapidly evolving world of AI is likely to be a game-changer: AI agents could become a central part of the shopping journey, inspiring and guiding customers, shaping preferences, and significantly changing behavior. For retailers, this means preparing for a more complex but also more informed customer journey, investing in visibility, data-driven decision-making, and a well-structured marketing mix to stay competitive in the coming years.

As eCommerce continues to evolve across technology, customer behavior, operations, and digital growth, conversations like these will once again be a key part of Balkan eCommerce Summit 2027, where industry leaders, brands, and innovators from across the region will come together to exchange ideas, practical insights, and real-world experience.[Source]