Wayfair Set to Open First Brick and Mortar Store This Fall
Wayfair, the popular e-commerce home-goods company, is making moves to enter the brick and mortar world. The Massachusetts-based brand announced today that it would open its first store, at the Natick Mall, in early fall. By selecting Natick, Massachusetts, as its inaugural-store location, Wayfair is doubling down on its New England roots and its connection to the Boston area in particular. At the store, customers will be able to make purchases and schedule home deliveries. And design consultants and customer-service specialists will be on hand to assist visitors in their selection process, a step that indicates a full embrace of in-person shopping. Additionally, Wayfair plans to open four immersive pop-ups this summer.
"We’re excited to bring the first full-service Wayfair retail store to our customers," Anjalee Sujanani, Wayfair’s general manager of physical retail, tells AD PRO. "We’ve always been focused on delivering the best possible experience for our customers and the store will be a true extension of that."
In choosing to open a physical store space, Wayfair joins the growing chorus of e-commerce design businesses putting down tangible retail roots. In 2018, One Kings Lane—which began as a website focused on liquidation sales—opened up shop in SoHo. Also last year, Parachute, the digitally native bedding company, opened stores in New York and San Francisco.
As for Wayfair, it has been indicating its expansion goals for quite some time. In the fall of 2017, the company launched a luxury designer brand, Perigold. Additionally, Wayfair has staged previous pop-ups—one of which took place at the Natick Mall—and awards shows. Today, the company carries 14 million different products from more than 10,000 suppliers.
In a statement released today, CEO, co-founder, and co-chairman Niraj Shah said, “With the opening of our new retail store, we are offering our customers a new way to enjoy Wayfair’s exceptional shopping experience as we continue to transform the way people shop for their homes."
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