Furnitures’ replacement? Think out of the box!

An office restyling or a house move is a popular time for old furniture to become somebody else’s problem: a significant loss considering the amount of embodied energy, materials and labour in these products. It was this dilemma that led entrepreneur Alpay Koralturk to set up Furnishare in 2014.

How does it work?

– When someone has an unwanted piece of furniture, they can contact Furnishare who reviews the quality of the item and collects it from the current owner. The model gives people a chance to monetise a burdensome or underutilised asset rather than simply dispose it, a process that might itself cost money.
– The item is cleaned, maintained and then placed on the Furnishare platform, where people seeking furniture can view it and buy it. The delivery is included in the price of the item.
– When people who bought from Furnishare want/need to get ride of their stuff, again the items are returned to Furnishare, they are cleaned and maintained, for the next one who might want them.

Furnishare model revolves around a central concept: customers have access to high-quality furniture in a sort of leasing manner, knowing that they can buy used high-quality items and re-sell them at their convenience.
Thanks to the support offered to its customers with pickups and delivery, to its flexibility in the logistic process, and to the quality assurance on the furnitures bought and sold, the Furnishare concept is one step ahead the standard second-hand marketplace.
Overall, this is a proposition based on convenience, choice, affordability, quality and sustainability.

It’s a wonder a similar model doesn’t already exist in the furniture industry, offered by manufacturers or second-hand shops. Alpay Koralturk thinks this is because the most important strength of Furnishare is its capabilities in logistics – an area a typical furniture manufacturer or second-hand shop isn’t eager to get into. On the other hand, one of the main challenges of this alternative business is related to changing people’s perspectives about a traditional industry and their way of thinking, strongly accustomed to “buy a new item, own it for a while, then throw it away”. The next few years are going to be key on getting the word out about the Furnishare proposition, and for Alpay Koralturk, the wind is blowing in the right direction. The entrepreneur says that he’s seeing companies in different sectors making changes towards a better utilisation of resources, and the response is often in favour of owning less.

Therefore, if you got inspired by this alternative second-hand marketplace concept, you might think of starting up a business providing the same service as Furnishare, if none else does it (yet) in your area… We love promoting sustainable businesses!