Re:Launch HN: Feather (YC S17), painless furniture rental fo...
by lobster_johnson on Thursday June 29, 2017 @07:30PM
(#14667668)
Good advice.
I want to add that for $18/mo you can get a knock-off of a Hans Wegner PP501 [1]. That's very expensive for what's guaranteed to be a dime-a-dozen Chinese-made replica of the type you find on Wayfair or Overstock [2]. I can't reasonably afford a Wegner (it's about $4,000-5,000 new, and vintage models are ironically even pricier), but I could see myself leasing one.
Leasing isn't just for people who move a lot. Leasing would also allow you to swap out the furniture every now and then.
[1] "Austin chair", https://rentfeather.com/collections/bedroom/products/austing...
[2] Possibly this: https://www.wayfair.com/Stilnovo-The-Kennedy-Arm-Chair-STNO1...
What if you're targeting too downmarket with this?
What if instead you marketed heirloom-quality furniture at the same price point, but gave the option at the end of "leases" to purchase or relinquish that furniture. You get margin on the lease, get paid out for the rest of the asset if they buy, but if they don't, you have great inventory that you can mark down.
That would give frequent movers access to something better than wayfair/overstock/ikea without having to commit to a $3500 armoire if it doesn't match the aesthetic or lifestyle that they have after moving or growing.
Good luck and all!