This project is an assignment commissioned by Houweling Interieur, a furniture retailer. They were seeking new business opportunities and therefore wanted to investigate the opportunities for a furniture lease service in the expatriate market.

Introducing a lease service would have several consequences for the company as well as for the customer. The company would take on several responsibilities from the customer, and has to cover for the purchase costs, which are repaid in small monthly payments by the customer. In general the operation of the company would become more complex and the value for the customer would be closer to his or her needs. Houweling Interieur is able to handle this more complex operation. All the physical resources necessary are available to the company. However, some of these should be expended dependent on the size of the lease operation.

If Houweling would introduce a lease service, it should position it at the high end of the market, where the company currently positions itself as well. This, because it matches the current suppliers, company vision and the Houweling Interieur brand name. However, in the expatriate market appears only to be a demand for lease furniture in the low end of the market. In the high end of the market, shipping in one’s own furniture is preferred.

While the analyses show that targeting the expatriate market with a lease service is not advisable for now, furnishing house viewings and selling separate smaller pieces of furniture fitting the small houses in the Netherlands are opportunities that have presented itself in the different analyses. Furniture lease in other markets is still an option as well.