In January's issue, Furniture News investigates how to meet evolving demand from the younger generations – and with demand for multipurpose furnishing solutions on the rise among young adults, Bensons for Beds is working hard to stay ahead of the curve, says brand manager Rachel Marshall …
What is Bensons doing to actively target and address the demands of younger shoppers?
In today’s busy world, consumers are constantly demanding more, and part of our job is to ensure that we are continually tracking trends and behaviours and reviewing our products and how they help fulfil those needs.
Style is a key purchase driver across all demographics and for younger shoppers, so it is really important to us that we are reviewing the latest trends and updating our product ranges accordingly. A great example of this is our Claudia bedframe featuring the popular boucle fabric, which we launched earlier this year.
This super-textured fabric has been a key trend within the world of interiors. Inspired by the likes of Chanel, this timeless and luxury staple has gone through something of a revival thanks to celebrities such as Kaia Gerber and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley who have boucle furniture in their homes and have featured it on their Instagram feeds.
Padded, panelled and cushioned back headboards have also seen a huge resurgence over the last year. Dating back to the early 19th century, these headboards were initially used in grand hotels and wealthy homes, providing a soft and comfortable surface for guests to lean against while sitting in bed. Based on our consumer research, we know that they love the comfort these headboards provide as well as the extra layer of insulation and noise reduction in the bedroom, making them a practical and stylish choice for any home.
To tap into this trend, we recently launched the Imogen cushioned-back design, which is available in two classic colourways, grey and deep ocean.
Following lockdown, we’ve seen a huge demand in multifunctional living spaces as more consumers are now choosing to work from home. However, many consumers – particularly young adults – don’t have a standalone office space in their homes. Consequently, the bedroom office has been born.
One of the biggest things we’ve noticed from this trend is the need for functional storage space to help reduce clutter and maximise bedroom space for working during the day. In bedrooms, bed storage has become extremely useful. Ottoman beds with lift-up storage have soared in demand, and we’ve invested heavily in bringing new, design-led powered ottoman frames to market to help cater to this consumer need.
We’ve also found that technology and innovation are key drivers amongst younger customers, with bedframes that have integrated USB/USBC-charging points such as our Bergamo bedframe, and our HI TV bed with voice activation, selling extremely well over the last 12 months.
What typifies their shopping/buying habits, and what’s driving these differences?
We know from our research and the housing market that a lot of young people are either still living at home or flat sharing, and as such their bedrooms have now become multi-purpose living spaces.
This has sparked an upsurge in sales for storage to help youngsters maximise their bedroom areas. Bedrooms are now being turned into offices by day and relaxation sanctuaries in the evening. As such, furniture that has technology built into it and can serve multiple purposes – such as TV and gaming beds – have grown in popularity.
Can you provide an example of one of your products or ranges that targets a younger audience?
During lockdown, millions of Gen Z turned to gaming as a means of relaxation and a way of connecting with other consumers. Many did this from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
With over 58% of the population now playing video games (expected to grow to 70% by 2027), gaming has become the number-one hobby amongst Gen Z. As such, we’ve seen an influx in gamer-specific furniture items, and we wanted to create a bed that answered a genuine need and provided the key technical specs that an avid gamer would find useful.
Listening to feedback from gamers, we have designed the Recharge Gaming Bed – the epitome of gaming luxury, which provides the perfect combination of function, style and relaxation at your fingertips!
The bed features a Sharp 43in 4K UHD Dolby Atmos-compatible TV, which has a Gaming Mode designed specifically for gamers, reducing lag and improving the way games look and feel. A HDMI cable is included for console connectivity, plus an extension cable.
The bed also features side-lifting ottoman storage with left- or right-hand side-opening function, a dedicated wire mesh-ventilated console storage box, and two 30W speakers with a 60W subwoofer providing a fully immersive sound experience. The bed frame also sports built-in USB/USBC ports to charge controllers and an AUX and headphone port on either side of the headboard. Detachable headphone and remote control holders feature on either side of the opulently plush, woven headboard, all of which are perfect for gamers.
Finally, the bed contains integrated multicolour LED lights around the back of the headboard and inside the ventilated console storage box. It comes in a choice of finishes: black woven with contrasting grey stitching; or charcoal grey woven with contrasting white stitching.
In this month's lead feature, alongside opinion pieces from other seasoned professionals, you’ll find accounts from retailers, suppliers, and everything in between, describing what their business is doing to meet the demands of younger customers. Read it here.
Pictured: Bensons’ Recharge Gaming Bed
