Looking for a coffee table under $200? Do you need it yesterday? It’s hard to deny the allure of Wayfair. One of the world’s largest e-commerce companies specializing in home furnishings, the retailer features more than 8 million products from more than 10,000 suppliers across a handful of brands, including AllModern, Birch Lane and Joss & Main.
What is Wayfair Professional?
Now, at a time when online retail behemoths like Amazon are picking up speed in the marketplace, Wayfair is doubling down on its business-to-business program. In January, the company rebranded its trade services and business offerings as Wayfair Professional. The improved and expanded resource gives trade partners, including interior designers, access to a huge selection of furniture and home furnishings as well as a dedicated customer service team. The program is also full of sweet perks like tax-exempt buying, free shipping (for orders over $49) and members-only discounts.
“The feedback we consistently hear from interior designers is that our selection is one of our biggest motivators,” says Wayfair’s Margaret Lawrence, Vice President, B2B. “Wayfair Professional makes it easy for interior designers to curate unique looks for all their clients — and manage projects from start to finish — in one place.”
Millions of products and easy-peasy project management? Okay, we’re hooked. But what about the fine print? To learn more about the Wayfair Professional program, Furniture, Lighting & Decor asked Lawrence to weigh in on what interior designers should know about partnering with the Wayfair business program. Read on for the inside scoop.
1. Wayfair Professional membership includes a virtual design showroom
"Designers in our program benefit from special access to a customized virtual design showroom with a seamless site experience to all of Wayfair’s sister sites for easy product comparisons and personalized service,” Lawerence says.
And that’s not all. To help support ongoing projects, the Wayfair business program also offers project management resources like a quote tool, inspiration boards, fabric swatches and product tear sheets.
2. Wayfair designers can upload their personal galleries to gain exposure on the Internet
“Designers in Wayfair Professional have the opportunity to upload a personal gallery of their work to our site, where it will be seen by millions of [Wayfair] visitors,” Lawrence says.
Down the line, the creation of these galleries could also lead to content partnerships with Wayfair, including interviews and project articles that the company shares across its network.
3. 3D models are available for download
“To help interior designers working with clients to more accurately visualize the furniture and decor products in their designs, we provide the option to download 3D models for an item [directly from] the product display page,” Lawrence says. “We currently offer two formats for 3D model download: FBX for tools such as 3DS Max and SketchUp and DXF for AutoCAD and Revit.”
Insider info: Wayfair Professional is working on new enhancing its program to give designers the opportunity grow their portfolio and earn clients directly through the site. As we heard from insiders in our February issue, augmented reality is expected to really take off in the next two years, so having access to 3D models could be huge for your business. Check back here for more details coming soon.
Designers, have you used Wayfair Professional? Tell us about your experiences in the comments!
