Spike in purchases of home office furniture as work from home trend grows

Home office furniture needs to be comfortable, functional, and look good says Cecil Nurse Office Furniture's Richard Debonnaire.

Working from home has been a bubbling trend for a number of years, but the Covid-19 pandemic and various levels of lockdown throughout the world has seen millions of employees shifting to this mode of work.

South Africa is no different, and some companies are considering this might become a longer-term phenomenon rather than a temporary one.

But has this led to an increase in people kitting out their home offices with dedicated work furniture?

But spending hours in front of that computer or laptop, means you need a comfortable office chair at home right?

Refilwe Moloto speaks to Richard Debonnaire of Cecil Nurse Office Furniture, who confirms that they have been selling a lot more furniture geared towards the home office.

He confirms there has been a notable rise in orders for home office furniture.

We are seeing a real trend towards people wanting ergonomic office furniture for their home environment.

Richard Debonnaire, Regional Manager - Cecil Nurse Office Furniture

As individuals may be ordering single items rather than large corporate orders, Debonnaire says it does shift the interaction with customers.

It needs a more personalised service for the individual, rather than for corporates or for companies.

Richard Debonnaire, Regional Manager - Cecil Nurse Office Furniture

He says Cecil Nurse Office Furniture has nine branches nationwide and offers a range of office furniture.

A chair or desk needs to be personalised for the home market. It's got to be comfortable, it's got to look good and it has also got to be functional.

Richard Debonnaire, Regional Manager - Cecil Nurse Office Furniture

He says global trends towards working from home have been growing for some time and in a number of countries, it is part of working life.

In South Africa, we have not experienced this as much, but Covid has brought this to us.

Richard Debonnaire, Regional Manager - Cecil Nurse Office Furniture

The company believes the future will bring a mix of the two - a restructuring and resizing within existing office space, as well as an additional work from home environment.

A balance of working from home and working in an office is where we see things going.

Richard Debonnaire, Regional Manager - Cecil Nurse Office Furniture

Debonnaire says the ergonomic chair is the most missed item of furniture in the home when it comes to working.

People can't sit comfortably at a kitchen counter or int their bd and work for hours. It has an impact on their health and wellbeing.

Richard Debonnaire, Regional Manager - Cecil Nurse Office Furniture

Listen to the interview below:

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