What is trade furniture? A guide for independent retailers and designers

Trade furniture, also called trade furnishings or business furniture, is furniture sold to businesses at trade pricing rather than to consumers at retail. The buyer is a retailer, interior designer, home stager, property developer, hotel, restaurant or online store that resells the furniture, specifies it for a client or installs it in a commercial space.

This is the explainer. If you're ready to buy, the trade furniture supplier page covers Artisan's trade, wholesale and dropship options.

What types of trade furniture are there?

There are three broad types of trade furniture, split by where it ends up:

Most of Artisan's range is residential trade furniture that also suits boutique hospitality. See hotels and hospitality, restaurants and cafés and, for office seating standards, ergonomic trade seating specifications.

How is trade furniture different from retail furniture?

The furniture can be identical. The difference is the terms. Trade buyers get a discount off MSRP, access to product data such as spec sheets and CAD files, account support and often delivery to a client's address. Retail shoppers pay full price and buy for their own use.

Who buys trade furniture?

Trade furniture is bought by independent furniture retailers, interior designers, home stagers, online stores and dropshippers, short-term rental hosts, hospitality buyers and builders furnishing model homes and show suites.

How do trade furniture buyers get pricing?

Through a trade account. Buyers register with business details and then see trade prices. At Artisan, prices show as soon as you sign up, accounts are reviewed within one business day and there's no minimum order or annual spend. See how to open a furniture trade account and the furniture trade account explainer.

How do you select trade furniture for a project or store?

Select it by matching the piece to the use, then checking the commercial terms. For a store, that means pieces that differentiate your floor and sell through, which is where stock-and-trade planning helps. For a project, it means scale, finish and durability that suit the client. In both cases, confirm stock location, delivery time and the information you'll need to quote.

What are the pros and cons of trade furniture buying?

What are the benefits of handmade solid-wood trade furniture?

Handmade solid wood gives trade buyers durability and distinctiveness. Solid wood can be refinished rather than replaced, and handmade pieces vary slightly from one to the next, which customers read as character. For retailers, it's a clear point of difference from mass-market flat-pack; for designers, it gives a scheme a material story.

What industry bodies and publications cover trade furniture?

Furniture Today covers the North American furniture trade; the National Retail Federation publishes retail research; ASID, IIDA and IDC represent designers.

Buying from a showroom or market instead?

Wholesale markets and trade shows are where many buyers first see new collections. If you exhibit or buy at shows, the guide to trade show displays covers how stands are designed and furnished.