Shopping for furniture at Lewis can mean you pick up some bargains! Lewis is a furniture store catering mainly to the middle market (LSM 4 – 7). Each store carries a basic range of furniture which all the stores will have in common. Beyond that, each store then has a core specialised range, catering specifically to the clientele they service.
Lewis currently has a huge footprint across South Africa, with 436 in SA, and a further 47 in surrounding countries such as Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. Stores are usually located in the main street of towns, as opposed to a furniture store catering to a higher LSM market, where the stores would be in big shopping complexes or in small boutique “design centres”.
Lewis also offers nine “smaller format stores”, where customers can view a few basic items in the store, and the balance of the range is displayed on the online catalogues and display screens in store.
Lewis sells household furniture, electrical appliances and home electronics. The group sells through three distinct brands, namely Lewis, Best Home and Electric, and My Brand.
Lewis often has specials on lounge suites and bedroom furniture, as well as dining room furniture and other odds and ends as well. An advantage of the Lewis approach is that they have beautiful layouts of various rooms, both in their physical stores as well as in their online catalogues. This can be very handy when comparing prices as well as the look and feel of certain furniture before setting out to actually see it in a store.
Lewis was one of the first furniture stores of its kind to pioneer furniture credit sale, due to the income group they cater to. They now primarily sell through this method. Lewis is backed by Monarch insurance, which provides insurance against credit sales to the group. Credit provision on furniture works in the same way as any other asset – the customer agrees to pay back a portion of the amount for the piece of furniture every month, as well as interest. Usually interest on credit furniture is somewhat higher than normal credit, which is why groups such as Lewis are happy to provide a credit facility.
Picking up furniture deals at Lewis can be a great way to save some money on furniture. It is recommended to look around before you purchase anything however, to assess the price and quality differences offered at each store. While a purchase at half the price of a competitor may seem like a good idea now, be wary that this probably means significantly lower quality. As a result, you may need to replace this item sooner than you might have hoped.
Lewis offers a good balance between affordable prices and good quality, ensuring peace of mind when making an expensive furniture purchase.
Ultimately, buying furniture should be fun, and you should be well equipped with competitor market knowledge, as well as fully understand the terms and conditions attached to your furniture sale, when buying on credit. Enjoy shopping for furniture, and make sure you look at Lewis, as you are sure to pick up some great furniture deals!