Today's consumers often find themselves torn between the convenience of online shopping and the desire to physically interact with products before purchasing. While many items can be ordered, tested, and returned, the same is not possible for oversized products. Luxury furniture -- with its large size and high cost -- falls into this category.
As the focal point of a room, it is natural for customers of luxury furniture to want a hands-on experience before making a significant purchase. Fortunately, modern technology offers contemporary consumers the opportunity to have the best of both worlds.
Rove Concepts, founded ten years ago by Art Lee, stands out among luxury furniture retailers for marrying brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce, and cutting-edge digital tools such as the newest AR/VR/XR visualization technology.
As necessity is the mother of invention, Lee created Rove out of an unsuccessful search for quality furniture at an accessible price point. Leveraging his e-commerce expertise, Lee established a brand aimed at serving individuals seeking the perfect balance between high end elegance and economic viability in furniture.
Starting as a direct-to-consumer digital furniture brand, Lee and the Rove Concepts team are not only disrupting the luxury furniture industry with their commitment to affordable luxury but also with their commitment to leveraging new technology.
The brand's AR/VR tool enables customers to plan their interior design and visualize each Rove piece they are interested in. This innovative tool helps consumers take advantage of the modern e-commerce shopping experience while shopping for items typically bought in a physical store. Furthermore, this tool actually empowers consumers to get a better understanding of how potential furniture will feel in their homes by leveraging augmented reality to illustrate exactly how pieces would look and fit to scale. Furthermore, customers can find inspiration and discover a sense of sophisticated luxury by exploring a modern and minimalistic home digitally with Rove's XR experience.
Art affirms, "Our AR/VR tool allows our customers to plan out their home with our furniture and visualize what it could look like before committing to purchase. Technology is ever-changing and we leverage this technology to offer our customers a state-of-the-art experience that no other furniture brands offer."
Rove Concepts is leading the way with its omni-channel strategy seamlessly integrating online and offline interactions by allowing customers to explore, visualize, and purchase products with ease.
Having bridged the gap between technology, luxury, and affordability, Rove Concepts has an ideal melange of services for the modern luxury furniture consumer.
When asked about the future of Rove Concepts and the luxury furniture industry, Art elaborated, "In order for brands to stay competitive, they will need to continue to adapt to the ever-changing technology. For Rove Concepts, we are already putting a lot of emphasis on AR/VR which is still a new and growing technology space. We're even planning new ventures like Rove Residences. We aim to continue to innovate and disrupt the industry for the consumers' benefit."
Far from shunning physical showrooms, Lee embraces them wholeheartedly, as evidenced by the recent grand opening of the Melrose Showroom in Los Angeles, coinciding with the Maria Collection's two-year milestone. Special guest Maria Sharapova graced the event with her presence this past September. This new addition joins Rove's existing showrooms in Santa Fe Springs, Vancouver, and Toronto, with plans for new showrooms in Soho, NYC, La Jolla, San Diego, and Bellevue, Seattle on the horizon.
