Ready-Made vs Custom-Made Furniture: Which Benefits More for Business?

Retail vs custom, the never-ending debate in the furniture industry, where both offer contrast yet valuable benefits for customers based on their needs. However, in terms of how much it needs more business considerations, custom furniture generally comes with more challenges, from lead times to pricing.

Deciding which one gives more margin profits starts with defining and understanding your business objectives. After that, you can search for the right answer by learning about the difference between ready-made vs custom-made furniture, their pros & cons, and what they are “best for”.

Quick Comparison

When comparing both furniture types, the most visible difference is obviously the design & shape. However, if you’re sourcing furniture from overseas, the list becomes longer. Here’s a brief breakdown of their differences from a business perspective.

Feature	Ready-Made Furniture	Custom-Made Furniture
Lead Time	Short (Immediate to 4 weeks)	Long (8-12 weeks or more)
Initial Cost	Low (Mass Production)	Medium-to-High (Niche Production)
Uniqueness	Standard, High Availability	Distinct, Brand-Led Design
Scalability	Easy-to-Medium, Sometimes Dependent on Factory Stock	Hard, Needs Approval before Production

For a shorter answer, ready-made items are easier & cheaper, but it doesn’t offer uniqueness to your product line. Meanwhile, custom-made furnishings offer distinctiveness that can strengthen your brand image, but you must be ready to pay and wait more. For a deeper explanation of the table, let’s continue the discussion below.

Ready-Made Furniture

Generally, ready-made furniture (also known as retail furniture) is mass-produced and is available for purchase anytime. This type of furnishing is created in standard sizes, with a specific design prepared by the manufacturer.

With its “always available” trait and no customization needed, retail furniture is relatively lower in price (sometimes higher for high-end items). Now, if a business wants to order this type of furnishing, what aspects can be considered aside from the price and the “ordinary” design?

Best For

With its steady availability, ready-made furniture is very suitable for retail commercial spaces that need regular replacement for aesthetic reasons. It can also fulfill the spaces of renters, first-time homeowners, or other residential needs, like quick office setups.

Pros

Ready-made furniture can benefit you with these three aspects:

• Speed: Like the name, ready-made furniture can provide you with immediate shipment; you can finish the project from ordering to installing & displaying the items in your store in weeks.
• Predictability: The most obvious benefit from ready-made items is that you will receive the same product as the one you’re looking at in the catalogue, unlike custom orders that need more design briefing & adjustment.
• Lower Unit Price: Another visible advantage of purchasing retail furniture is the lower price, even when the total price is based on the unit price; buying them in bulk orders also won’t affect your budget that much.

Cons

If the pros are centered around the budget efficiency, the cons of buying retail furniture mostly affect your brand positioning.

• Lack of Differentiation: Since it’s mass-produced, your competitors might be selling the same items, making your brand can’t stand out in the market and also spend more time & effort marketing the products.
• Fixed Dimensions: Retail furniture comes in standard sizes, making it hard for customers who want to adjust the size according to their room plan.

Custom-Made Furniture

Like the name, custom-made or custom furniture is produced only when a customer orders it. The request focuses on the flexibility in size, material options, shape, and even the type of finish that suits the specification desired by the customer.

The customization makes custom furniture unique and becomes a one-of-a-kind product that belongs to the customer, making it not available in any store. However, the exclusivity also comes with a higher price to pay and more time to wait. Here’s the key consideration before starting your custom furniture project.

Best For

Ordering custom-made furniture should be done by hospitality-led projects like hotels & resorts, high-end brand flagships, interior designers, or other businesses that prefer to highlight their “signature” look with items that are designed specifically tailored to their brand image.

Pros

Custom furniture basically strengthens your brand positioning, easily distinguishing your brand in the market:

• Stronger Brand Image: The first obvious advantage in buying custom furniture is the exclusivity your brand brings, reinforcing the image & positioning you’ve set before. 
• Technical Precision: Since the customization is strong in this type of order, you can request the specification tailored to your needs, from material selection to product dimensions.

Cons

While custom-made furnishings offer exclusivity, it also comes with higher stakes

• Higher Unit Price: Since it’s high in customization & complexity, the price of custom furniture is obviously higher, especially for a single unit, depending on the design difficulty level.
• Longer Lead Times: Custom furniture also requires more time, as the prototyping stage must be done first before production. And when the production begins, you must spare some time to check the progress, ensuring the final product arrives as expected.
• Design & Communication Constraint: Running a custom furniture project is not easy; you might face some difficulties in communicating your expectations, or even the lack of capabilities in your partner to create your design.

Which One Should You Choose: Custom or Retail Furniture?

Sourcing furniture should be easy and not give you more worries. Try to consider these before starting your next project.

Choose Ready-Made If

• You have a strict opening deadline in less than 3 months
• You are a newcomer, wanting to test your market demand with a minimum budget
• You are targeting residential customers with ever-changing demand in furniture
• You have a customer base that prefers low-priced furniture to complement their rooms

Choose Custom If

• Your customer base likes to showcase authenticity in their spaces
• You want to erasea bad reputation by selling unique pieces
• You are fine with minimum volume orders, but higher margins

Hybrid Approach

It’s not wrong to choose both retail and custom as a diversification strategy. Display ready-made items for high-volume orders (choose one or two specific designs that are best-selling) and also tell your customer that you’re also open for custom pieces that specifically capture your customer's aesthetic & space functionality. 

Consult Your Needs with MPP Furniture!

If you’re looking for a reliable furniture supplier that can help you with both orders, MPP Furniture is ready on call. With over 20 years of experience in delivering many furniture projects for retailers and custom orders, MPP Furniture shows true craftsmanship through our diverse products.

With our 200+ in-house craftsmen who have mastered sophisticated joinery over the years, we’re confident in only delivering premium handcrafted furniture with an artisanal level of detail to each piece. Their skillful hands have led us open the custom/ODM/OEM service for our clients who seek authenticity for their brands.

Our 16.000 m2 production house allows us to apply strict quality control at every production stage, ensuring your vision is reflected perfectly in the design & finish outcome and long-term usability. Proven by our 99% client satisfaction and only a 0.56 percent complaint ratio, MPP Furniture is confident in helping you run a successful project along with our clients from the US, Dubai, Australia, Spain, and more.

Interested in working with us? Call us now and tell us about your needs! If you still hesitate, schedule a free consultation and see if we match the vibe and proceed to the collaboration!