Everyone has heard the stereotype that Italian furniture is expensive. But why? Is it because the quality of these pieces are impeccable, or do they feature a unique design that cannot be found in any other country? The answer to this question is not quite clear.
In fact, there are many reasons why Italian furniture might seem more expensive than other types of furnishings. Here we will explore 10 different reasons for this increased price point and elaborate on each one to help you understand what makes Italian furniture so much pricier than its counterparts.
1) Italian furniture is handmade.
Italian furniture brands pride themselves on the fact that their pieces are completely handmade and crafted by skilled Italian artisans who specialize in creating unique items for specific customers.
These pieces of furniture often follow a certain design but may feature slight changes depending on what each client requests, such as size or color variation. This process usually takes longer than mass-production techniques used to make generic products, adding another cost onto the price tag of these furnishings; time.
2) Italian furniture is made from high-quality materials.
In addition to being completely handmade, Italian pieces of furniture are often crafted using the highest quality wood and other material that can be found in a given region.
For example, many brands use walnut for their tables because it grows locally and is abundant throughout Italy’s rural landscapes. In order to produce large quantities of these items quickly without compromising on costs or design integrity, manufacturers must purchase larger amounts of hardwood at once instead of buying smaller batches frequently which adds to production prices as well.
Italian furniture may also feature more expensive designs such as unique patterns cut into headboards or legs with exotic accents like Pietre dura. These types of details further add to the price tag of Italian furnishings.
3) Italian furniture is imported.
In addition to being handmade and made with locally-sourced materials, Italian furnishings are also often crafted overseas in places like China or Vietnam where labor costs are significantly lower than those of Italy.
This manufacturing process cuts back on some production expenses but the shipping fees from these countries may increase prices as well because they must be paid by whoever is importing these pieces into their home country. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a trunk that weighs 40 pounds to cost over $1000 just due to international shipping alone.
4) Italian furniture is sold at high-end retailers.
Italian furniture brands often sell their pieces of furniture in upscale department stores and boutiques that focus on selling mid to upper-level luxury items such as designer clothing, jewelry, and home decor.
Since these shops want to keep a certain level of exclusivity around the products they carry, many do not allow any discounts or sales on new arrivals which means customers must pay the full price for whatever they purchase from this store upon arrival.
This makes it difficult for consumers who may use coupons or promo codes while shopping online with other retailers; some Italian manufacturers only provide their furnishings through one retailer instead of several different ones like more generic brands might choose to do so prices remain higher than average when compared to other companies.
Conversely, many of these brands also choose to sell their products directly on their own websites which means they can offer discounts and sales through this channel without having to worry about violating the rules set by all-inclusive stores like department stores or high-end boutiques.
This policy makes it easier for people who are looking for Italian furniture but don’t want to pay full price because they shop frequently with other retailers; however, some consumers may still find that even online prices remain higher than average due to shipping costs from overseas factories.
Italians tend not only to be more expensive in Italy itself but within Europe too compared to countries outside of Europe such as America where I imported one table myself while buying another two items shipped from China.
5) Italian furniture is often sold in sets.
Many Italian brands choose to sell their furnishings as full collections which mean customers are required to purchase the entire set in order for everything to match together inside of a home decorating theme or style.
This can be problematic because people who live alone may not want six dining chairs instead of just two while buyers with families may need more than three coffee tables depending on how big their living rooms are and what types of activities they plan on hosting within them such as dinner parties, board game nights, or holiday get-togethers.
Even if someone needs only one item out of an Italian collection it’s still necessary for them to buy every other piece at once so that all of the furniture matches; this means it’s more difficult for people to buy single items of Italian furniture because they must first purchase the full set in order for everything to look uniform within their living rooms.
Price comparisons between an individual dining chair that cost $400 on its own versus a table and six chairs that cost $1800 as a whole aren’t necessarily apples-to-apples either; this is because many companies charge extra fees just to replace missing or damaged parts over time which makes buying multiple pieces at once even pricier than if someone were only purchasing one item.
6) Italian furniture is normally made to order.
Due to the popularity of Italian furnishings and their limited production, these items are typically sold through retailers as a pre-order which means customers must pay for their orders in advance before waiting several weeks or even months until receiving their new pieces at home by mail once they’ve been manufactured inside an overseas factory.
This can be problematic because it leaves people without any option but giving manufacturers money ahead of time just so that they have something to sit on when dining with friends and family; many online shoppers may not want to purchase furnishings this way if they feel uncomfortable trusting a company enough in order to give them thousands of dollars upfront before ever seeing how well their products look in person again much less being able to sit on them.
One way around this is by buying Italian furniture through another retailer who isn’t directly connected with the manufacturer but instead only stocks products from major brands in order to resell them for a profit; however, buyers must pay extra fees just so that their items can be shipped across national borders which often results in prices being even higher than if they had gone through companies like IKEA or Crate & Barrel where shipping costs are included within the purchase price of each item itself.
Italian furniture is typically sold as sets rather than individual pieces because it’s easier for manufacturers to make money this way and retailers don’t want upset customers returning dozens of separate packages after already having paid thousands of dollars upfront.
7) Italian furniture is expensive to ship.
Many Italian brands choose to make their furnishings and sell them through retailers who not only cost more than buying directly from the company’s website but also pass along additional fees just so that items can be shipped across national borders; this means it costs a lot of money for people to have these kinds of furnishing sent home with them no matter where they live within Europe or outside of it which explains why Italian products are often known as being some of the most overpriced pieces found anywhere in stores today.
Italian manufacturers may even charge customers extra cash on top of what was quoted by a retailer simply because they know how difficult it will be for buyers to send back any defective parts out-of-pocket without contacting anyone first; this is why it’s a good idea to shop around online and read customer reviews before making any purchases instead of going straight for the most expensive items in stores because these types of furniture are often overpriced even when they aren’t faulty.
Italian manufacturers also know that shipping prices will be so high across international borders which means their products must retail for higher than average prices themselves if they want to turn a profit on each sale made through retailers who only deal with national shipments within Europe or outside of it.
When people think about Italian design at all, there’s normally one thing that immediately comes to mind: luxury furnishings sold by upscale designers like Armani Casa, Kartell, Vitra & B&B Italia just to name a few.
8) Italian furniture is expensive because of design costs.
While many of the most expensive pieces on the market are Italian made, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these items look better or more high-class than what’s offered for sale by other furniture brands who don’t have as strong a reputation in terms of style; however, people are willing to pay far more money for anything labeled “Italian design” because they assume it must be superior based upon their knowledge about how much things cost within Italy itself.
This is precisely why companies choose not to outsource production even if there might otherwise be advantages when it comes to manufacturing additional products overseas which would reduce shipping costs between European countries and markets outside of Europe where demand exists but local manufacturers can’t compete with prices being sold directly from Italy at all.
9) Italian furniture is expensive because of distribution costs.
Most people don’t realize that it’s the middlemen who buy from Italian brands and then re-sell to retailers at a markup price who is responsible for why even inexpensive furnishings end up being priced as high as they do.
However, this doesn’t stop consumers from headstrongly believing that fly-by-night resellers have some kind of genuine affiliation with companies like Armani Casa or B&B Italia simply because their names appear on products before shipments arrive in stores throughout Europe or abroad where demand exists but prices can never compete with what buyers pay when an item has been imported directly from Italy without going through any other parties first.
The truth of the matter is all of these fees are passed down to buyers in the end which is why it’s always a good idea for people to take their time before making any Italian furniture purchases instead of opting into expensive items without doing any research beforehand.
10) Italian furniture is expensive because of branding.
Lastly, Italian furniture manufacturers know that the only way they can sell products at such high prices is by first establishing a strong reputation for Italian design as being synonymous with luxury and nothing else.
The best way to do this of course is through carefully crafted marketing campaigns which tell consumers time and again how Italian made means better quality than what’s on offer from any other manufacturer within Europe or outside of it; even if this isn’t true, people will still pay up because they want their homes to look like something out of an Armani Casa catalog instead of anything more practical but less expensively priced elsewhere.
Final Words
For a lot of people, buying Italian furniture is simply out of the question because they can’t afford to pay so much money for what’s often nothing more than overpriced décor. However, it doesn’t have to be this way which is why anyone who wants high-quality pieces without paying retail prices should always compare their options before making any purchases.
Even if they’re sold under one or another reputable brand name that may not necessarily deserve its reputation in terms of style and quality when compared side by side with other manufacturers around Europe or outside of it where cost-effective manufacturing methods mean lower prices on average from companies selling directly through designers and retailers alike.