When it comes to the question of where to buy furniture slipcovers, there are endless options in the sense that there are many companies that sell them.
Wayfair, for example, lists more than 70 unique “brands” of ready-made sofa slipcovers.
Kohl’s, Target, Walmart, and Amazon each list dozens of brands of slipcovers on their respective websites.
But if you dig a little deeper, you will find that among those various brand name slipcover companies only a few also have a role – any role – in the design and manufacture of the products they sell.
Most ready-made slipcover companies serve only as retailers … and, perhaps, distributors.
Even the handful of slipcover companies that are involved in product design and manufacture rely on multiple platforms to distribute their products.
These same online platforms often also serve as marketplaces for third-party retailers that nominally appear to be unique slipcover brands, but are, in reality, merely drop shipping companies … many of them selling products from the same manufacturer.
So when it comes to where to buy furniture slipcovers, you may want to ask yourself, “Who exactly am I buying that slipcover from?” And “What relationship do they have to their product?”
In this article: The spectrum of business models • Vertical integration versus retail only “Vertically integrated” slipcover companies • SureFit • Paulato by GA.I.CO. Slipcover retailers and distributors • The specialty marketplace • The diversified online retailer • The third-party retailer Conclusion
The spectrum of business models
At one end of the spectrum of business models is the vertically integrated company.
A vertically integrated company is characterized as such because it controls multiple stages of the production process from manufacturing through retail. This, in theory, allows the company to maintain greater control over its supply chain, product quality, and pricing.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is a company that specializes in only one stage of the production and distribution process. Focusing exclusively on raw material sourcing, manufacturing, wholesaling, or retailing, for example, these companies rely on partnerships with other companies to complete the other stages of the production process.
While “one-stage” companies are able to focus their resources and expertise on what they do best, they also have less control over the overall production process than a vertically integrated company.
Within the slipcover industry, it is challenging to find examples of fully – or even substantially – vertically integrated companies.
At most a minority of slipcover companies operate based on hybrid business models that incorporate multiple – but not all – stages of the production process.
Typically, even these companies outsource manufacturing and rely on a variety of distribution channels to reach their customers.
“Vertically integrated” slipcover companies
Let’s first consider two examples of slipcover companies that are at least partially vertically integrated.
SureFit
Operating today as a subsidiary of Hollander Sleep Products, U.S.-based SureFit virtually created the ready-made slipcover industry when the company was established more than a hundred years ago, in 1914, by the Samuel Krasnov family.
In the 1930s, SureFit built a large manufacturing facility in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania and for some time thereafter operated as a vertically integrated company, effectively controlling all stages of the ready-made slipcover production process, from manufacturing through retail.
Over the years, like many companies, SureFit’s business model has evolved. While SureFit maintains a hand in the design of their slipcovers, these and other SureFit products are now manufactured overseas in facilities not owned by SureFit.
SureFit indicates its current role in the design and manufacture of its products in the product descriptions on its website.
This, for example is from the “Product Overview” of the SureFit Heavyweight Cotton Duck One Piece Sofa Slipcover.
To confirm my understanding of this, I contacted SureFit.
Also, while SureFit sells slipcovers and other home furnishings directly to consumers via the surefit.com website, SureFit also uses multiple distribution channels to reach their customers selling through other retailers including Kohl’s, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, and Amazon.
In all, SureFit operates using a hybrid business model, maintaining elements of vertical integration while leveraging outside manufacturing and distribution partnerships.
Paulato by GA.I.CO.
Paulato by GA.I.CO. is an Italian company that has been creating premium ready-made furniture covers since 1965.
Paulato slipcovers are easily recognized by their patented “wavy” fabric pattern.
With products handcrafted and made in Italy, Paulato controls several stages of the production process, from design to manufacturing. However, like SureFit, Paulato distributes their products through a variety of channels and distribution partnerships.
For example, Mamma Mia Covers is an official distributor and retailer of Paulato in the United States and sells slipcovers manufactured by Paulato directly via the Mama Mia Covers website.
Slipcovers sold under the Paulato by GA.I.CO. brand name can also be purchased via Wayfair or Amazon.
Thus, like SureFit, Paulato by GA.I.CO. maintains elements of vertical integration but operates what is ultimately a hybrid business model.
Slipcover retailers and distributors
Toward the other end of the business model spectrum are slipcover companies that have no hand in product design and manufacture but are only involved in retailing and distribution.
This retail and distribution business model itself takes several different forms.
The specialty marketplace
American e-commerce company, Wayfair, for example, specializes in selling furniture and home goods.
Wayfair operates primarily as a drop-shipping marketplace. In this business model, Wayfair doesn’t stock or own any inventory. Instead, Wayfair purchases inventory as needed from a third party – usually a wholesaler or manufacturer – and uses its wide supply network to fulfill orders and ship its products directly to consumers.
In drop shipping, the retailer does not keep goods in stock but instead transfers its customer’s orders and shipment details to either the manufacturer, another retailer, or a wholesaler, who then ships the goods directly to the customer. The key difference here is that the seller doesn’t handle or store the products at all.
Wayfair specializes in the sense that it focuses “narrowly” on the selling of household furnishings, including slipcovers. However, while Wayfair thoughtfully curates products, markets and sells those products on its online platform, and handles order fulfillment, it has no role in the manufacture of the product itself.
The diversified online retailer
Another form of slipcover retail and distribution occurs via online platforms that sell a diverse array of products across a range of product categories.
Target, Kohl’s, Amazon, and Walmart are all examples of retailers who sell slipcovers as one of many products offered via their substantial online operations.
Unlike Wayfair, the overall business models of Target, Kohl’s, Amazon, and Walmart are more diversified.
Amazon and Walmart operate complex businesses which encompass retail, third-party sales, and even some product manufacturing.
Target, Kohl’s, Amazon, and Walmart also develop and offer their own private brands including houseware brands like Room Essentials (Target), SONOMA Goods for Life (Kohl’s), Pinzon (Amazon), and Better Homes and Gardens (Walmart) a product line inspired by the magazine.
This diversification, however, does not as a whole extend to slipcovers. The slipcover offerings of these retailers are largely sourced from third-party retailers.
The third-party retailer
While Amazon and Walmart sell slipcovers directly to consumers, both also operate as marketplaces introducing yet another form of the ready-made slipcover retail and distribution business model.
As online marketplaces, Amazon and Walmart allow third-party sellers to list and sell their own products on Amazon and Walmart platforms.
These third-party sellers, among them many slipcover “brands” are independent companies that use Amazon and Walmart to handle the customer interface and often (but not always) order fulfillment. In turn, by giving a platform to these third-party sellers, Amazon and Walmart are able to expand their product offerings.
If you search for slipcovers on Amazon, for example, you will see that Amazon lists nearly 50 different slipcover “brands.” You will recognize, among these brands, the slipcover company SureFit, whose business model we discussed above.
But you might also notice the “brand” Easy-Going home textiles, currently an Amazon Best Seller.
Easy-Going is the Amazon ecommerce storefront name for Shaoxing Dihua Textile Co., Ltd an import company with a business address in Zhejiang Province China. Easy-Going sells mostly inexpensive furniture covers, ranging from $20 to $40 dollars, and a few other home furnishings and has a 4.9 out of 5-star average out of 6,432 ratings. Very respectable.
However, beyond that it is impossible to discern much about the company’s business model or what role Easy-Going has, if any, in the design and manufacture of the slipcovers they sell through Amazon.
Check out the “Sold by” information of other Amazon slipcover “brands” – H.VERSAILTEX, PureFit, PrinceDeco, and so on – and you will see much the same thing.
As I wrote in my recent article, “What is the best way to shop online?” I’m not saying that these third-party retailers are bad. (And I am definitely not suggesting I would never buy from Wayfair, Target, Kohl’s, Amazon, or Walmart – I have bought home furnishings from every one of these retailers.)
What I am saying is that I would have different expectations than if buying a slipcover from a slipcover company like SureFit or Paulato by GA.I.CO., companies that have a much greater hand in the overall production of their products.
Conclusion
In this article, we have focused on ready-made slipcovers.
There are, of course, different types of slipcovers. In addition to ready-made slipcovers, you can buy custom-made slipcovers, furniture protectors, and furniture that is slipcovered by design. (You can also DIY your own slipcover or go with a simple couch-covering throw.)
Each type of slipcover – custom-made slipcovers, furniture protectors, and furniture that is slipcovered by design – has its own seller (though there is, of course, overlap) and each of these sellers occupies its own place along the vertical integration spectrum.
I do think it’s interesting – maybe even astounding – to note that I have thus far only been able to identify two slipcover companies that have a significant role in the design and manufacture of the slipcovers they sell – SureFit and Paulato by GA.I.CO. (again, distributed in the U.S. by Mama Mia Covers).
Out of all the many many places where you can buy a slipcover, just two.
So, when it comes to where to buy furniture slipcovers, the answer is you can buy them virtually anywhere – you just won’t be, in most cases, buying them from a company that makes them.
Have a slipcover company you would like me to check out?
I’d love to!
Just leave your candidate in the comments below and look for an upcoming post.
