Why buying individual pieces usually ends up costing more than a curated package
It’s a classic homeowner’s trap: you find a “bargain” sofa here and a “cheap” coffee table there, thinking you’re beating the system. But by the time the dust settles, your bank account is lighter than you expected, and your living room looks like a collection of strangers who aren’t talking to each other.
In the industry, we call this “The Fragmented Premium.” Here is why buying piece-by-piece in South Africa usually ends up costing you more than a curated furniture package.
- The “Delivery Fee” Drain
When you buy from five different retailers—say, Coricraft, @Home, a local maker, and Cielo—you aren’t paying one delivery fee. You’re paying five.
* Individual items: 5 deliveries @ R450–R850 each = ~R3,250
* Package: One team, one truck, one flat fee (or often included) = R850 (Total)
* The Loss: R2,400 just to get the items through your front door.
2. The Cost of “Design Drift”
When people buy individually, they often realize halfway through that the rug doesn’t match the couch. This leads to Return Penalties. Most SA retailers charge a 10%–15% “restocking fee” plus the cost of return shipping if you change your mind.
The Math: If you buy a R12,000 sofa that looks “off” in your lighting and return it, you could lose R1,800 instantly in fees. In a curated package, the scale, color palette, and lighting compatibility are pre-vetted.
3. Retail Markup vs. Wholesale Bundling
Furniture packages operate on a “volume” model. Because the designer buys the entire room set at once, those savings are passed to you.
Item | Individual Retail Price (Est.) | Curated Package Price (Allocated) |
3 – Seater Sofa | R14 999 | R11 500 |
Hand – Woven Rug | R5 500 | R4 000 |
Oak Coffee Table | R4 200 | R3 200 |
2 x Side Tables | R3 600 | R2 800 |
Total Cost | R28 299 | R21 500 |
Total Saving | R6 799 |
4. The “Time is Money” Factor
For a landlord or Airbnb host, every day an apartment sits empty while you wait for a delayed coffee table is lost revenue.
If your Cape Town apartment rents for R1,500 per night and you spend two weeks driving to showrooms and waiting for separate deliveries, you’ve just “spent” R21,000 in lost opportunity. A furniture package installs in a single day.
Summary: The Real Price Gap
When you add up the extra delivery fees, the restocking risks, the retail markups, and your own fuel/time, buying individually can cost between 20% and 35% more than a streamlined package.
