Reply to Working with an interior designer

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don’t understand why people need to pay a 20% markup for a designer to source things that are readily identifiable by browsing shelter magazines and available for purchase online. The designer gets a trade discount and you pay a markup. What’s the point? Is it just for the pleasure of spending a lot of money?[/quote]

In the old model, the designer is the retailer. “To the trade” meant wholesale, basically, except with items to order. But the designer is the one having to deal with selling, taking the order, receiving, installing, handling returns, etc. Just like a store, and stores used to have a 50% markup.

Now a lot more stuff is available directly to consumers, and it’s less costly to do the selling because of e-commerce, so this model is changing. There are also designers who will offer you their trade discount with minimal services for a lower cost - just like other retail competition. A lot depends on what you want to buy and how aggressively or not the manufacturer is protecting the old model.

In terms of the designer, it doesn’t really matter in the end whether you pay them a higher hourly rate or a markup on the furniture, all that really matters is the total cost and whether or not you think it’s a good value. [/quote]

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