Imagine a weekend afternoon: sunlight streaming through the windows as you curl up on a comfortable couch with a cup of coffee, enjoying your leisurely personal time. Yet how often is this perfect moment interrupted by a missing remote control, a dead phone battery, or the lack of just the right pillow? These seemingly insignificant "small pleasures" in life often determine our quality of living.
As the home furnishings industry faces slowing growth and consumers become more rational, capturing these "small pleasure" needs has become the key for brands to stand out. Against this challenging backdrop where leading companies report declining revenues, Lin's Home has achieved counter-trend growth with outstanding performance during major shopping festivals like the 315 Promotion and 618. This youth-oriented furniture brand has successfully differentiated itself through sustainable hit product development and spatial aesthetics capabilities.
The Product Philosophy: User-First Innovation
The secret lies in Lin's Home's "user-first" product philosophy. Xu Keda, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Lin's Home, believes brands should focus not on grand narratives but on understanding users' real lives to discover unmet needs for these "small pleasures." From makeup mirrors with improved storage solutions to versatile "Bag Chairs" meeting young people's flexible usage needs, Lin's Home transforms products into precise scenario solutions, proving the power of "detail innovation."
Evolving Consumer Demands: From Simple to Complex
Xu points out that home furnishing needs are undergoing two significant shifts:
- More budget-conscious young consumers: The rise of content platforms has eliminated information asymmetry, giving consumers stronger product evaluation skills and more comprehensive home furnishing demands. They prioritize value over brand names, seeking maximum benefits within limited budgets.
- More personalized, diversified needs: Consumers now look beyond basic functionality, using purchases for self-expression and personal enjoyment. They know their preferences and resist brand "education," presenting clear, specific demands—like an office chair that also works for gaming, or a space-saving bed with ample storage.
This evolution challenges companies to accurately identify functional, situational and emotional needs while quickly establishing distinctive market styles that translate brand inspiration into products and services.
Understanding "Small Pleasures": Returning to Real User Lives
Xu emphasizes that brands shouldn't simply pander to young consumers but must genuinely understand and experience their lives—even becoming part of their world. Returning to users' actual lives reveals numerous unmet "small pleasure" opportunities.
For example, when redesigning makeup mirrors, Lin's Home found that as women's skincare awareness grew, cosmetic collections expanded dramatically—an industry oversight forcing users to waste time searching for products. Their solution? Expanding mirror surfaces and optimizing storage layouts.
User Research: No Shortcuts, Only Immersion
Lin's Home maintains dedicated customer research teams with specialized behavioral analysis tools. For core products, they conduct in-home interviews. Xu stresses there are no shortcuts—only by immersing in details, listening to authentic feedback, and noting dissatisfactions can they concretely visualize pain-point scenarios for targeted optimization.
They recognize that consumer demographics and spaces constantly evolve—needs completely change every five years. A decade ago, living rooms served guest reception purposes; today they're primarily personal entertainment spaces. Lin's Home's "Sit-Anywhere Chair"—a multifunctional single sofa—was developed for such scenarios.
Originally designed for American McMansions around TV watching, functional sofas now serve diverse purposes in various settings. Lin's Home expanded them with gaming, sleeping and work modes—like adding phone charging and back-support features for binge-watching sessions—earning widespread consumer acclaim.
Price vs. Value: Delivering More Than Expected
Young consumers do care about budgets, Xu notes, but they seek value beyond low prices—evaluating materials, aesthetics, functionality and practicality holistically. Lin's Home found growing demand for spatial aesthetics, making their full-category, full-scenario product matrix particularly advantageous.
Balancing Mainstream and Niche Needs
While focusing on mainstream trends, Lin's Home also explores niche scenarios. For colors, they adapt popular hues to real-life constraints—like reducing saturation for multigenerational households needing partial renovations. This balances trend alignment with personalization.
Their hit products always address overlooked needs. The 2024 "Bag Chair"—a lightweight, portable sofa—emerged from recognizing unmet outdoor seating demands for activities like camping. Early consumer imagination of usage scenarios drove strong word-of-mouth upon launch.
Calculated Risks: Pushing Boundaries Responsibly
Brands must take some risks to avoid homogenization, Xu argues, but should minimize uncertainty. For the Bag Chair, they conducted nearly 100 youth interviews before proceeding at 70-80% confidence. Continuous consumer validation throughout development further mitigated risks.
Product Philosophy: Substance Over Gimmicks
Consumers rationally weigh costs against value, Xu observes. Lin's Home avoids flashy, unnecessary features, focusing only on meaningful improvements—like enhancing furniture antibacterial properties for pet owners despite higher costs.
Marketing: Authentic, High-Quality, Relatable
In today's transparent market, Xu emphasizes three principles: 1) Durable goods require substance—hype alone fails; 2) Marketing quality must stand out in information overload; 3) Content must be grounded in product-deliverable scenarios that spark lifestyle aspirations.
The Brand Promise: Consistently Delivered
Ultimately, Xu concludes, a brand is a promise—helping consumers understand what to expect while allowing companies to communicate more effectively. Lin's Home integrates products and branding to convey their understanding of youth lifestyles, inviting customers to explore spatial aesthetics inspiration—a value that can't be faked through marketing alone.
Future Vision: Fashionable, Comfortable, Diverse
Looking ahead, Lin's Home aims to embody three consumer-recognized values:
- Fashion: Youth-oriented, accessible home aesthetics
- Comfort: Ergonomic innovations for versatile, convenient living
- Diversity: Multifunctional, multi-style solutions addressing granular needs
Despite housing market declines, opportunities abound in renovation demands and "self-indulgence" trends like gaming rooms and pet-friendly designs. With China's home furnishing market still fragmented, patient, quality-focused brands like Lin's Home see ample room for growth by genuinely addressing each customer's needs—one small pleasure at a time.