Indonesian furniture-as-a-service startups add a fresh coat of color to the industry

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IN FOCUS

In today’s newsletter, we look at:

• How Indonesian furniture startups are exploring new models to thrive
• Reliance Jio’s new US$12 feature phone
• How this serial founder bootstrapped her beauty brand Coco & Eve to profitability

Hi there,

Browsing furniture shops took over my life as I prepared to move into my new home a couple of years ago.

Having gone through the process of purchasing furniture and having it assembled, the thought of moving somewhere else, and having to go through the whole process of disassembling and reassembling once more, now fills me with dread.

Even if I stay in place for a while, furniture suffers from wear and tear, and it will have to be cleaned and repaired on occasion.

In Indonesia, a number of startups have emerged to address the hassle of owning furniture – a topic my colleague Jofie explores in this week’s Big Story. Instead of buying furniture, why not rent it and have the startup be responsible for maintenance costs instead?

This model may be especially attractive to businesses, which have to deal more frequently with issues like maintenance, having a variety of pieces, and scaling up – or down. It is particularly suitable for companies that operate an asset-light model and want to save on fixed costs.

Startups like Bioma offer a furniture rental service, with clients ranging from startups to conventional companies, property firms, and F&B businesses. The firm itself is also asset-light, partnering with third-party brands to source the actual furniture.

These days, even furniture can be “as a service.”

Meanwhile, in this week’s Hot Take, I look at Reliance Jio’s new US$12 feature phone, and how it is part of a trend in which market leaders try to expand their total addressable market by making their products and services more affordable.

— Simon

THE BIG STORY

Furniture startups remodel Indonesia’s billion-dollar market with customization, rental options

THE HOT TAKE

NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

FYI