The growth of a micro-sector that for a long time was relegated to a mere cross-selling policy, has now decreed the birth of a new macro-area of merchandise: the Gaming segment, in fact, has expanded from a purely tech declination to include furnishings. Let’s see how it has developed in such a short time, and how ProduceShop has implemented its catalogue in this direction. .
It is not always easy to create an entire market segment out of nothing; sometimes it is even more complex to turn a niche sector into a macro-category. This is what has happened with gaming furniture; from a mere selection of accessories for an important category (tech/tech-gaming), an entire market of its own has opened up, taking characteristics from several niches to establish itself as a new growing trend.
Expanding the catalogue of offerings in this direction therefore proves to be a good investment now, but even more intuitive for those who had decided to be ahead of the times. During the pandemic, in fact, the growth of the sector, due to the new dynamics of sedentariness, saw the consolidation of these economic players.
MBK explains some of the details here, looking at the Gaming and Furniture category of the ProduceShop platform.
Studying trends
For the analysis of this specific product category, we relied essentially on two tools: our internal analytics (based both on the tools offered by Google and on our own in-house softwares), and the analysis of user requests.
Analysing what customers are asking for allows us to anticipate their intentions and queries. Consequently, we do not run the risk of chasing after products and micro-categories that risk fragmenting our marketplace, moving away from the real needs of the market.
A first interesting fact concerns the fluctuation of the trend in its short history; in fact, examining the Gaming Furniture market over the last 5 years, we note that, starting from a fairly constant growth rate of 7%, there was a drop to 5.2%, then recovered in the Covid-19 period.
As regards the internal segmentation, among the different nuances that the market, always in evolution, tends to offer, we have identified 3 main subcategories, summarized in the graph: desk chairs, gaming platforms, hybrids (armchairs, floor rockers, etc.)
Lastly, the podium of the purchase brackets; if the market is highly competitive (there are few love marks that are not fully established as references at the moment), the mid-range is at the top, followed by high-end/luxury products (very design–oriented) and low-end products.
Sector evolution
Needless to say, such an expanding market, which is inextricably linked to a fast-growing sector (tech and tech-gaming), requires innovation every day.
The development of hybrid solutions, where the sector blends with design, luxury and architecture, was a predictable consequence. Product customization is certainly one of the most popular trends, as is the demand for modularity and systems that can be implemented. Concepts such as gaming rooms and gaming houses are becoming more and more real every day, and therefore require appropriate support.
The most hype gaming furniture trends
Going back to the search for the most trending products, we have identified several micro-categories with high search (and sales) volumes. While some of these products are still difficult to differentiate (what we used to call hybrid products), others are proving to be undisputed top sellers. Finally, there are the concepts, and the new market proposals.
- gaming chairs: this is the most popular item (excluding of course the entire tech segment); the demand is for ergonomic and comfortable models, possibly padded, with cushions and other comforts. Less important, according to the statistics, are technological implementations (speakers, USB inputs, Bluetooth);
- gaming armchairs: an evolution or variant of the former, more suitable for gamers who do not use PCs but consoles. Here too, the first guideline is comfort, which is what drives the preference for this article;
- desks: space, solidity and hi-tech materials are the current trends in the gaming desk micro-segment. In this case, implementations combining desks and hardware are highly sought after (LED, plug), as are more futuristic and streamlined designs;
- equipped workstations: this is a niche within a niche. More expensive and sought-after, they are complete and complex systems that bring the gaming experience to be immersive and complete;
- shelving: required for the storage of cases or objects;
- tech: true core business of the sector, it concerns PCs, consoles, hardware and software leading to the gaming experience. Obviously they are analysing a completely different market.
A generational market: the importance of influencer marketing
Given the nature of the market itself (but it is not granted), the primary target audience is grafted onto Generation Z; although this is a cross-generational passion (bordering on work), i.e. also present in previous generations, post-Millennials are the users who currently fall most within the mainstream.
This implies a very specific marketing design, designed to touch the communication level of this group of users. Not only is it useful to adapt to contemporary languages, but relying on specific figures such as influencers can become a very interesting means of implementation.
If you then adapt everything with a contact intermediated not only by the influencers themselves, but by participation in the community (through dedicated platforms, such as Twitch), creating buzz, engagement and, hopefully, good conversion rates becomes even more likely.
In conclusion
This time we find ourselves in front of a rising market, but at a slow pace; if in fact the evolution of the main business has been proceeding for a long time in a constant upward trend, on two or three digit levels, the collateral market of Gaming Furniture instead follows, for the moment, a steady pace.
It is also true, however, that there are still no reference brands that can lead the market; the ideal would be to monitor over time (investing in the most promising trends), but keeping as references both the core business and the office furniture market.
Sources:
- Corporate PR
- Procurement Dept. ProduceShop
- Marketing Dept. Produceshop (https://mbkfincom.com)
- Deloitte
- Shopify
- Globe News Wire
- GQ
- DataBridge Market Research
- KTVN