BC Business
Customers can book an appointment to browse express items in store or call in to place an order.
For any furniture company to get a seat at the table, it has to do things well and it has to do them fast. It was never an easy feat, but pandemic and supply-chain delays pushed up wait times everywhere, some taking as long as 35 weeks.
Family-run CF Interiors, which has been delivering furniture throughout North America for 43 years, just opened a quick-ship retail front called CF Express last Tuesday to serve those who don’t want to wait nine months for a couch. Nestled in 848 East Hastings Street, the showroom houses ready-to-ship items including sofas, beds, dining tables and more.
A significant portion of CF Interiors clients are designers, architects and developers who are willing to wait for perfect custom fits for their spaces. But the inspiration to launch an express arm of their services came from wanting to improve the average shopper’s experience.
“We’re trying to make it easier for the retail client,” says CF Interiors managing partner Brock Andrew. “There are so many options that it’s hard for people to make a decision. But when they can come into the store, look at something that’s only available as they see it, and they can get it quickly, I think that’ll make their decision process easier.”
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Clients can request changes to fabric, finishing and size and still receive CF Express items sooner. The reason why certain furniture pieces are faster is because those are items that local vendors have in stock or that have a short delivery time compared to custom orders. Shipping times vary depending on the furniture—some things can ship the next day while others can take a bit longer, depending on whether it’s coming from the CF warehouse or being sourced from elsewhere.
To purchase CF Express items, customers can now go into its Strathcona showroom and order in-store to get the fastest delivery, or they can browse the Express website and call in to place an order. During the pandemic, the furniture retailer—which carries over 150 brands—became appointment-only.
Andrew says they will continue that model moving forward because it makes the shopping experience better for the client as well as for its 35-person staff. “You can obviously order things quickly on the internet but you can’t touch it or feel it or sit on it,” he notes. “So this is giving the opportunity to do that.”