Made.com has launched a social media platform that allows interior design enthusiasts to connect with each other and see products within the context of a home. Made Unboxed is the latest venture from the online design company. Using the site, customers can input their postcode and view the homes of other Made.com fans that may live nearby; there is also an option to contact them.
Made, which now employs over 150 people, is based in Notting Hill and has physical showrooms (in Notting Hill and Leeds) in addition to its virtual one. The company seem keen to retain the pioneering reputation they gained after being one of the first the first e-tailers to bridge the gap between online and offline. Their London Showroom is also soon to undergo a trial with digital tagging service CloudTags, and will launch an app soon.
Ning Li, Co-Founder and CEO, said “We‘re the first consumer brand to create a social showroom and Unboxed contextualises our products without the need for costly lifestyle shoots or high street shops. But more than that, Unboxed demonstrates ‘collaborative consumption‘ which empowers consumers to take inspiration from each other.
“Word of mouth has always been our most important marketing channel, and we see Unboxed as a great way to cultivate those conversations between our customers and their neighbours.”
The company, launched in 2010, allows people to buy furniture and home furnishing items direct from the maker. It says cutting out the middle man and its online format means that users are able to choose from a much larger variety of products.
