What to ask a furniture procurement service before you hire one
Not all procurement services work the same way. Here are the questions that separate the good ones from the ones that will quietly mark up your order.
Furniture procurement services have proliferated in the last five years. Some are genuinely transparent. Others are interior designers charging a design fee and then marking up the furniture on top — you never see what the supplier actually charged.
Here are the questions to ask before you commit.
1. Do you show me the supplier invoice?
A transparent service shows you what the workshop actually charges. If the answer is 'we don't share supplier pricing' or 'we use trade pricing that we can't disclose,' that's your answer: you're not going to know what the markup is.
DAF shows you the supplier cost on every line item. Our fee is 20% of that number. You see both.
2. What is your fee structure?
Procurement services charge in several ways: a flat percentage of supplier cost, a percentage of retail cost, a per-project flat fee, or an hourly rate. The most dangerous structure is percentage of retail cost — because 'retail cost' can be set by the procurer. You end up paying a percentage of a number they control.
- % of supplier cost — transparent, tied to what was actually paid
- % of retail cost — verify how 'retail' is defined
- Flat project fee — predictable, but make sure scope is clearly defined
- Hourly rate — fine for small or complex projects, unpredictable for large ones
3. Who do you contract with — the client or the supplier?
Some services act as agent (you contract with the supplier directly, they coordinate). Others act as reseller (they buy from the supplier and sell to you). The reseller model is where hidden markups live — you can't see the supplier's original invoice.
4. How do you handle lead times and delays?
Workshop delays are a real and common occurrence. Ask how the service communicates delays, what their escalation process is, and whether they'll source a replacement if a workshop falls through.
5. What is the payment structure?
Typical: 50% deposit before sourcing begins, 50% balance due on delivery or delivery confirmation. Be wary of 100% upfront for unstarted projects or vague payment triggers like 'when production is complete.'
6. Do you have relationships with the workshops you're sourcing from?
A service that is sourcing from workshops for the first time is a liaison, not a procurement partner. Real sourcing relationships mean better lead time visibility, quality accountability, and problem-solving when things go sideways.
7. Can I see a sample plan before I commit?
The format of the sourcing plan tells you a lot. Does it show workshop origin? Lead time per piece? Unit cost and markup separately? A well-structured plan means a well-structured service. A vague plan means the detail is being withheld.
DAF answers yes to all seven. Supplier cost visible. 20% fee on top. Workshop identified. Sample plan at /sample-plan.
See a sample plan →Retail furniture markup isn't arbitrary — it covers real costs: showroom rent, staff, marketing, returns, and inventory holding. Understanding what those costs are tells you which ones you're happy to pay for and which ones you can eliminate by sourcing differently.
Read →Moving into a new construction home is the one moment when you can furnish everything coherently from scratch. Most people don't take advantage of this. They move in with furniture from the previous place, plan to 'deal with it later,' and deal with a room they never love.
Read →Trade pricing is what interior designers and procurement firms pay for furniture — typically 30–50% below retail. It exists because manufacturers want consistent pricing and don't want consumers bypassing retail. DAF gives clients access to trade pricing for a 20% fee.
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