Hill Cross Furniture 
Ordering contract furniture comes with an understanding that pieces are going to take some time to arrive. Generally, these pieces aren’t kept in a surplus warehouse, ready to go, which means each lead time could be anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks. However, there are also plenty of companies that can provide contract furniture with quick lead times, allowing businesses to populate their space under more significant time pressure.
This article will explore what affects furniture lead times for made-to-order pieces and contract options, touching on everything from material choices to item popularity. This way, you should find your next furniture shopping period easier to time and navigate.
Case goods vs soft seating
In some cases, case goods like tables and desks can have shorter lead times than soft seating. This is because assembly can be a lot faster than in the case of items with a lot of upholstery, which is considered a more demanding, skilled task. If you’re relying on manual craftsmanship, you should often be able to expect upholstered pieces to take a little longer to be finished and shipped.
Materials and fabrics significantly affect furniture lead times
Beyond soft seating and case goods, whether purchasing contract task chairs or dining tables, material choices will make the biggest difference to most lead times.
Manufacturers generally keep a selection of their safest materials and fabrics on hand, ready to use in pieces. If buyers choose these, a start can be made on the pieces much earlier.
However, they might also offer alternative materials that they don’t stock as readily. In these cases, they will need to wait for deliveries from partners or suppliers before they can get started on the items. The same should be said for advanced finishes, as certain stains and design choices require more ageing or curing.
Popularity plays a massive part
It’s also worth considering the popularity of certain products and ranges in a furniture supplier’s oeuvre. If a contract furniture company is known for something like banquette seating or contract side chairs, they might make them in batches or prioritise those sorts of orders. In these cases, you might be able to order based on slots.
However, on the other hand, if you order something very niche, the manufacturer might wait until other orders come through before firing up their machinery. With energy costs as high as they are right now, you should be conscious of how the manufacturer can work towards efficiency.
Made-to-order vs bespoke engineering
In some cases, bespoke furniture might take longer than made-to-order designs, but this isn’t a catch-all rule. In fact, in some cases, bespoke options might be part of a company’s bread and butter beyond certain pieces in a range. It varies from supplier to supplier.
Getting quick lead time contract furniture
As you can see, various factors influence the speed at which you can secure furniture.
If you’re looking for a combination of popular and bespoke contract furniture options with quick lead times, come to Hill Cross Furniture. We have a wide variety of pieces, including chairs and table tops that can be with you in 2-4 weeks, as well as banquette seating that can be set up in 8 weeks.
For more insights into the world of contract furniture, visit our blog today.
