Within a few days at the end of October, three members-only websites (Dalani, Home Culture and Temple & Webster) launched in Australia, offering high end homewares brands at up 70% off. They all announce new sales throughout the week.
It’s a new phenomenon for the Australian market and one that seems to be proving very popular with all three sites reporting growing memberships and sales. But is there room for three sites offering the same kind of thing?
Interiors Addict gave all three of them the chance to explain what they offer and why they stand out from the crowd. First up, we spoke to Victoria Baker, editor at Temple & Webster. She’s excited they’ll be selling authentic Eames chairs on the site next week and says there are lots of exciting plans just around the corner.
What’s the story behind you setting up this business in Australia?
That’s easy, we’re all Australian, so really it was the logical choice for us!
How would you sum up your site and its offering?
Temple & Webster is all about the home. Our aim is to inspire everyone to create beautiful spaces in their home with the best of Australian and international design, at significantly reduced prices compared to regular retail.
We provide our members with access to beautifully presented collections of authentic designer furniture, homewares, kitchenware, tableware, linen, art, decor, gifts and more from both well-known and up-and-coming Australian and international designers – all at up to 70% off RRP.
Under the banner of T&W Style Compass we also regularly feature hand-picked curated collections from leading design commentators, interior designers, stylists and the designers themselves – the first is a collection by David Heimann of Orson & Blake and we’ve already got a jam-packed schedule for 2012.
There are now three similar players in the market (Dalani, Home Culture and Temple & Webster). Why are you the best/different?
Ultimately it is the customer who decides who is best for them. That’s why we treat our customers like our best friends. We take care of every member as though they are a VIP (which they are!), whether they’re just browsing, or spending $5 or $5,000, the service and support they receive from Temple & Webster is always first class. We take the exactly the same approach with our suppliers as well.
Our fantastic team is completely dedicated to making the Temple & Webster experience the best we can for our members. Everyone is involved in every aspect of our sales events, from production right through to packing boxes, and this means we’re incredibly responsive to the needs of our members.
It’s this commitment to the highest quality service combined with our years of experience and our longstanding connections in the industry that allows Temple & Webster to present a range of products (and people) at amazing prices like no other brand can. We can’t wait for our Living Edge sale next week, featuring an authentic Eames lounge chair and ottoman!
Do you think there is space in the market for three websites like this?
Absolutely. And we expect to see even more entrants into this category. Healthy competition in this space is good for everyone, it drives innovation in all areas of the shopping experience from browsing, through to purchase, delivery and beyond.
Do you think this is something the Australian consumer has been waiting for?
Yes! We’re amazed at how fast our membership is growing and we’ve had overwhelmingly positive responses to our sales events. Australians are tech savvy and smart about savings, so they have embraced online shopping wholeheartedly. We’re offering an elegant, beautiful way to shop online for the home, at great prices. That’s been a long time coming.
What are your plans for the site in the next 6 months?
You’ll have to wait and see! We’ve got something new planned in just about every area of the Temple & Webster experience. Let’s just say we can’t wait to get our new features in front of our members – and we’re not just talking about our website either… It’s such an exciting time and we’re thrilled to be leading the charge. Of course we’ll continue to focus on sourcing great products at amazing prices and providing first-class service because that is the very essence of what we do.
Tomorrow, read what Dalani had to say…
