Ever-mounting expectations of instant gratification have shaped our consumer landscape. The boss needs a project ASAP, and you need coffee in your hand ten minutes ago. As consumers, our retail experiences have been reduced to compulsive clicks and swipes—but the moment our habits land us with a 1,500lb sectional on the doorstep, the euphoria of a shopper’s high gives way to a sobering comedown.
In retail, furniture assembly is often the storm cloud on the horizon of an otherwise seamless experience. Without a furniture assembly solution, customers face transportation headaches, assembly struggles, and product damage, leading to higher return rates and abandoned carts as customers pre-empt the inevitable hassle. This raises the question: What do retailers risk when they fail to provide an integrated furniture assembly service?
The Impact of Not Offering Furniture Assembly Services
Higher Return Rates
Furniture tops the list of returns, and lack of assembly is the culprit behind this chronic pain point. When customers wrestle with vague instructions or missing pieces, frustration gets the upper hand. Pieces get damaged in the process, or shoppers decide the product isn’t worth the hassle. What could have been a long-term staple in the home ends up back in a warehouse. For retailers, these avoidable returns pile up costs, clog inventory, and chip away at margins.
Customer Frustration and Dissatisfaction
The emotional toll of assembly frustration can be as damaging to the furniture as it is to a brand’s reputation. Picture a customer who spends hours battling with a dresser, only to give up when they’ve reached a breaking point. That experience doesn’t just end with a half-built piece of furniture; it sparks negative reviews, lowers CSAT, and erodes confidence in the retailer. And in today’s world, where online reviews can make or break a brand, one bad experience doesn’t stay contained—it ripples outward, discouraging future shoppers and undermining loyalty.
Missed Revenue Opportunities
Without assembly support, retailers also miss out on bigger baskets and higher average order value (AOV). Shoppers think twice before clicking “buy” on a bulky credenza or oversized shelving unit if they know they’ll be stuck piecing it together on their own. Competitors that remove that barrier by offering assembly services give customers the confidence to go bigger—and often, to buy more.
The Positive Impact of Offering Assembly Services
Case Study: IKEA and Taskrabbit
IKEA’s partnership with Taskrabbit shows how powerful professional assembly can transform the customer experience. By building same-day, on-demand assembly right into the purchase journey, IKEA has:
- Increased AOV: Customers buy more and bigger, knowing that assembly isn’t a barrier.
- Reduced Returns: Professional assembly ensures items are put together correctly, reducing damage, mismatches, and “buyer’s remorse.”
- Improved CSAT: Customers enjoy their furniture sooner and with less stress, resulting in higher satisfaction and stronger loyalty.
These outcomes prove assembly isn’t an afterthought; it’s the engine behind smoother operations, higher sales, and loyal customers.
How Taskrabbit Can Help
For retailers ready to level up their service offerings, Taskrabbit makes it simple to weave assembly directly into the customer journey. With a nationwide network of trusted Taskers, Taskrabbit delivers:
- Same-day availability so customers can enjoy their furniture without the wait.
- White-glove service that guarantees professional, stress-free assembly.
- Seamless integration into retail operations, making the path from checkout to setup frictionless.
By embedding assembly at the point of purchase, retailers remove a major source of friction, reduce costly returns, and build stronger customer loyalty.
In a world where convenience isn’t a perk but the price of entry, assembly is the key to staying competitive and keeping customers happy. At Taskrabbit, weaving assembly into your business is simple and seamless. As retailers carry the weight of instant gratification, we’ve got their backs—working just as hard to keep businesses thriving as we do to keep customers happy.
Looking for a way to integrate Taskrabbit assembly into your customer journey? Become a partner today!
