FurnitureDealer.Net — provider of websites, product content and digital marketing services to independent home furnishing retailers — has partnered with Wells Fargo Retail Services to launch new technology that enables furniture shoppers to use its private-label credit cards to pay for purchases via retailers’ websites.
Implementation of the new technology began this spring on a number of retailer websites with promising results. According to Mitch Keller, marketing and merchandising director at Crest Furniture, parent company of Top 100 retailer Value City Furniture, for example, the addition of the new feature to the Value City website resulted in the financing of 28 percent of online orders with a 50 percent higher ticket than non-financed orders. “I would say it’s a home run,” Keller relates.
“In partnership with FurnitureDealer.Net, Wells Fargo is proud to offer a new technology that allows retailers to help customers finance their purchases without ever leaving their website,” says Steve Jermier, senior vice president of relationship management at Wells Fargo Retail Services, an industry leader in private label and industry consumer credit card programs. “FurnitureDealer.Net is taking the lead in offering this valuable service to home furnishings retailers and we’re pleased to have partnered with such a highly responsive, tech-savvy team.”
“During the pandemic it’s critical that home furnishings retailers make it easy for their customers to make purchases online,” reports Alex Kirsch, vice president of client solutions at FurnitureDealer.Net. “Financing is important to furniture shoppers who want the convenience of buying online from the comfort of their homes. With this new tool, shoppers can complete their purchase on a retailer’s website and pay for it using their Wells Fargo private label credit card without ever going to the store or even speaking with a store representative,” the executive says.
Furniture Marketing Group (FMG) facilitated the collaboration between Wells Fargo Retail Services and Furniture Dealer.Net, both long-time vendors of the buying group. “As more people shop from the safety of their homes, convenient and fast access to long term consumer financing is critical to the success of our retailer members,” notes Mike Herschel, executive director of FMG. “We’re pleased that long-time FMG partners Wells Fargo and FurnitureDealer.Net have teamed up to help our members increase online sales with this valuable consumer service.”
According to Kirsch, the upgraded functionality is available now to all retailer clients on FurnitureDealer.Net’s premium website platform. “This technology makes buying online more accessible to more customers,” says Kirsch, “and we’re committed to helping our clients navigate the unprecedented challenges caused by these turbulent times.”