Ever wish you could visualize how a certain couch would look against the back wall of your living room? Well, Royal Furniture can make that happen. The furniture retailer isn’t just selling sofas and dining sets—it’s shaping the future of furniture retail.
With a stronghold of 12 retail stores across the UAE and three more focused on exports to Africa, the company is proving that even in a digital-first world, the tactile experience of buying furniture isn’t going away. But don’t mistake Royal Furniture for a legacy brand stuck in its ways. Under the leadership of Richard Snowball, General Manager for Retail, the company is doubling down on omnichannel strategies, personalization, and AI to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.
Furniture Retail Is Evolving—and So Is Royal Furniture
Every store opening is a milestone for the brand, but Snowball’s vision goes beyond geography. “We’re not just expanding locations; we’re expanding experiences,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Finance 360. With 15 stores in operation, the company is focused on blending the best of physical and digital retail.
While brick-and-mortar stores remain critical for customers who want to “touch and feel” furniture, Snowball acknowledges the growing dominance of digital platforms globally.
“Most people start their journey online now. They’re browsing on their phones before they even think about coming into a store,” he explains. “If your online presence isn’t seamless, you’re already losing the game.”
To meet this demand, Royal Furniture has made its website a digital showroom, featuring high-quality visuals and detailed product information.
Augmented Reality & Personalization Are The Future
What sets Royal Furniture apart from competitors isn’t just its ability to adapt to digital trends—it’s how it’s rethinking the customer experience entirely. The company is leaning into augmented reality (AR) to bring furniture shopping into the future.
“Customers want to visualize their space before they commit,” Snowball says. “With AR, we’re letting them place our furniture in their homes virtually, change colors, and customize layouts—all from their devices.”
It’s part of a broader push to make furniture shopping hyper-personalized. Gone are the days of customers choosing from limited catalogs. At Royal Furniture, if a customer walks in with an Instagram screenshot or a Pinterest board, the company’s answer is almost always, “Yes, we can make that.”
Snowball knows that innovation without listening to your customers is a recipe for failure. “We love hearing good feedback, but the negative feedback is where we grow,” he says.
Royal Furniture actively seeks out input from customers, especially when something goes wrong. The company’s focus on quick resolutions and iterative improvements has cemented its reputation as a customer-first retailer.
Bright Colors, Blended Styles, & Smarter Spaces Is 2025’s Vibe
Looking to the future, Snowball predicts bold shifts in furniture trends.
“Earthy tones have been dominant, but 2025 will bring brighter colors and more eclectic mixes of traditional and modern furniture,” he says. The rise of space-saving designs and multifunctional pieces will also play a big role as customers look to optimize their homes for both aesthetics and functionality.
As furniture retail becomes increasingly customer-driven, Royal Furniture’s focus on blending tactile and digital experiences positions it as a leader in the MENA region—and a brand to watch globally.
