Used Furniture Trading Solution
TIMELINE
Fall 2022
10 Weeks
TEAM
Keith Ren(Me)
Robert Sheng
Muji
FOCUSING AREAS
Market Research
User Research
Stakeholder Research
Market Positioning
TOOLS
Figma
Sketch
Overview
The project focuses on reducing furniture waste by developing a trading platform that connects two key user groups: those with surplus used furniture and those seeking furniture. The aim is to explore innovative repurposing methods to prevent furniture from ending up in landfills. The research delves into the dynamics between furniture sellers and diverse users, addressing their specific needs. This solution aims to provide mutual benefits, offering an efficient and practical approach to furniture trading.
OBSERVATION
During our observation, we identified the furniture industry as a significant, yet underexplored, area of opportunity. Through secondary research, we gathered key data that highlights the potential of the used furniture market, demonstrating its promising possibilities.
5%
of the total household waste
discarded or old furniture makes up almost 5% of the total household waste produced each year in America.
3/4
landfills
almost 3/4 of furniture ended up in landfills.
5 Years
Average
The average American moves once every 5 years.
Only 9% of furniture are actually repurposed, 89% of furniture are either burned or landfilled.
Initial Problem Statement
Our market research indicates a strong demand for affordable furniture, highlighting a significant potential market for used, inexpensive pieces. Despite this apparent demand and the abundance of used furniture, a considerable amount of it still ends up in landfills. We believe this discrepancy may be due to the complex and time-consuming nature of the repurposing process for used furniture. This creates a situation where, despite the need and demand for affordable furniture, the logistical challenges in repurposing used items hinder their effective redistribution.
How to optimize or simplify the complex and expensive furniture repurpose process to benefit customers and companies, but also to make the whole industry climate positive.
Rough solution
We propose a solution involving delivery companies operating a used furniture exchange/trading program. Currently, when a family wants to replace furniture, they incur a delivery fee for recycling the old piece, which is then sold by the recycling company to a thrift store, incurring another delivery cost. In contrast, our platform would enable users to directly exchange or purchase furniture from others, with only the delivery fee. This simplifies the furniture repurposing process, allowing users to sell, buy, or exchange furniture more efficiently, while also providing a stable income source for delivery companies.
Identify Stakeholders
Stakeholder types
Based on our initial solution, we identify three stakeholders which are regular furniture stores, thrift stores, and delivery driver.
Regular Furniture Stores
Ecosystem
Business Objectives
Target Users
Thrift Stores
Target Users
Business Objectives
Ecosystem
Delivery Driver
Motivation
Restrictions
Attitude
Interview Questions
Interviewed Stakeholders
Feddes original home furniture store
High-End New Furniture Store
The Salvation Army
Thrift Store(sell used furniture)
UPS Delivery Driver
Full time driver
Identify Users
Identify Users Types
To identify our target users, we carefully chose four controlled variables to make sure the result can be representative enough:
Age
16-25
45-55
Experience
High Experience (move regularly )
Low Experience (move rarely )
Living status
Ecosystem
Live with roommates
Living Space
House
Apartment
Interview Questions
Interviewed Users
Problem Statement
Stakeholder: The Salvation Army
Interview Key Points
Insight & opportunities
Stakeholder: Feddes original home furniture store
Interview Key Points
Insight & opportunities
Part-time driver
Interview Key Points
Insight & opportunities
Full-time driver
Interview Key Points
Insight & opportunities
User interview Affinity Mapping
Insight & opportunities
Final Problem Statement
Based on our interviews, we identified that the main challenge in repurposing used furniture is not the process itself, but the lack of efficient platforms for sellers to quickly offload their items, particularly before moving. This often leads to furniture being discarded. Additionally, buyers face difficulties in efficiently finding and selecting used furniture that meets their specific needs, such as price and quality. Therefore we change our problem statement to this:
Design a user-centric trading platform that change the used furniture market by facilitating direct trade among users, breaking the conventional cycle of purchasing new and discarding old furniture, and maximize the benefits of both seller and buyer.
Positioning Matrix
Our market analysis revealed a gap in the current online marketplace: there isn't a platform specifically tailored for individuals who are relocating and need to immediately sell their furniture or other non-moveable items. Furthermore, most existing trading platforms only offer fixed pricing, which is not conducive for buyers seeking to purchase items at the lowest possible cost.
Core Opportunities & Insights
Opportunity
Generally, there’s a timeframe that sellers need or want to sell their furniture by. The closer it is to that date, the more likely the seller will prioritize selling product fast rather than maximizing profits.
HMW
How might we assist sellers in selling products within a timeframe while prioritizing their current needs?
Opportunity
It is more difficult to authenticate second hand furniture information and evaluate product conditions solely by sellers.
HMW
How might we ensure product information accuracy and authenticity in the direct exchange of furniture between sellers and buyers?
User Types
User Type 1: Buyer
User Type 2: Seller
Key Features
Dynamic Price
We have created a dynamic price system using “Prisoner's Dilemma” theory to create the balance the benefit of sellers and buyers.
How it works?
Initially, the seller sets a high starting price for the item. They also specify the latest time by which they wish to sell it. Once the item is posted, its price begins to decrease progressively from the initial high point to $0, in accordance with the remaining time until the specified latest selling time. If the item remains unsold when this time expires, its price drops to $0.
Why doing this?
For sellers needing to dispose of items before moving, this approach maximizes their gain by enabling them to sell items they might have otherwise discarded.
Buyers, on finding their ideal product, can wait for the price to drop to their preferred level. However, buyer will face the risk of losing the item to other buyers. This situation mirrors the Prisoner's Dilemma where each party’s best strategy depends on predicting the other's actions, balancing the risk of waiting (for buyers) and the urgency to sell (for sellers).
Authorization Service
We have also created a optional authorization service to allow users to buy an item without any quality concern, and allow sellers to sell the product faster.
How it works?
When sellers upload a product to our system, they have the option to request verification for the item. If they opt for verification, they must provide key product information and submit photos and videos from various required angles. Our back-office team will then manually review these submissions. Once verified, the product is marked as "verified" and receives priority in search results. A certification fee of $1 is added to the price of the item for this service.
Why doing this?
For sellers, verified items on our platform enhance trustworthiness, attracting buyers concerned about quality. These verified products receive higher prioritization, boosting our platform's credibility and potentially increasing revenue.
For buyers, we offered them a reliable method to purchase products without quality concerns, ensuring a trustworthy shopping experience.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Next Step