“In the US, many are renters. They sign a lease and need a sofa the next month,” Ee said. “That shifts delivery from being a support function to being part of the product.”
At the same time, the scale and diversity of the US market have required Castlery to adapt its approach to different cities and lifestyles rather than treat the country as a single, uniform market.
“A customer in New York lives very differently from someone in Los Angeles, Austin or Seattle,” Ee said. “Space is limited in New York, while other cities may have more room for larger homes and outdoor living.”
There is also a cultural difference. American customers tend to be more vocal in their feedback, a dynamic Ee said keeps the company on its toes. He added: “If something doesn’t work, it shows up quickly and publicly. We learned early on that you can’t just sell a beautiful product. In Singapore, trust builds more quietly. In the US, it’s built or broken in the open.”
