Consumers’ Perception of Eco-Services Innovations Related to Furniture

Abstract

Innovations and eco-innovations are effective in building relationships with current and potential customers. One of the possibilities is to innovate in a way that can “materialize” services and at the same time turn them into ecological ones. Such eco-innovations promote sustainable development. The paper focuses on the eco-innovation in services related to furniture. These innovations include ideas such as long-lasting design, maintenance and repair services, remanufacturing of used furniture, and servitization of furniture that includes furniture leasing and renting. The research applied through the Kano model points out the most accepted service innovations in the area of furniture by Slovak respondents. The results present the differences in preferences of customers regarding the individual provided services. It follows that the popularity of individual services is connected with their perception either as traditional innovations or radical ones. Slovak customers prefer financial services supporting purchase of furniture, transport, second chance service, and services related to furniture maintenance and repair.

Keywords

• innovation
• ecological innovation
• services
• consumers
• furniture industry
• kano model