Young entrepreneurs from St.Gallen want to shake up the office furniture industry

ofinto promises an uncomplicated and cost-effective solution for office furniture - both in the store and in the home office.

Getting premium office furniture simply, quickly and easily - that is the aim of the St.Gallen start-up ofinto. "Thanks to a lean, effective supply chain and distribution without intermediaries, we can save up to 50% of the costs compared to conventional manufacturers," emphasizes Jonas Romer, co-founder of ofinto. "Take a height-adjustable office desk, for example: conventional manufacturers procure the electric motors from the Far East and then have them installed in the desk frame by another supplier. These components then come to Switzerland, where the manufacturer assembles them into the actual office desk. But this is only the first step. From the manufacturer, the desk then goes to the specialist retailer, who in turn passes the product on to an external logistics company, which then delivers it to the customer. This process is not only very expensive, but also extremely slow". ofinto would like to simplify this process: "Our furniture comes directly from the original manufacturer to the customer - we not only save up to 50% of the costs compared to other premium manufacturers with the same quality, but can also act and deliver much faster".

"We only offer the maximum equipment"

The Eastern Swiss company is also breaking new ground with its product range: "We have made a conscious decision not to offer different gradations of our products," says Romer. "With us, every customer can be sure that they are buying the best product with all the functions and without any concessions." The young entrepreneurs have taken a lot of time to achieve this: "We have spent the last 10 months developing the ideal product in each category. Our office chairs and desks have the maximum features and all the ergonomic and functional options. For example, our height-adjustable table is suitable for people from 1.60m to 2.10m and sets standards in terms of stability and speed. It is also particularly quiet, has 4 memory functions and anti-collision protection. The same applies to our office chairs: they have all the ergonomic functions and are made from the best components. They are assembled in less than 5 minutes".

Service orientation and a product promise that goes far beyond the purchase

"We have paid particular attention to quality and durability," assures Romer. For this reason, a 5-year guarantee is standard at ofinto. Customers also have the opportunity to test ofinto products for 30 days. "But we also offer services," Romer adds proudly. "ofinto-flex is the first trade-in program for office furniture. When companies move, they often dispose of their old office furniture. We offer a trade-in service in exchange for credit towards future purchases. We also have solutions such as an employee discount platform and the home office subscription, where companies can furnish their employees' homes for a monthly fee. These rental and trade-in solutions are also good for the environment: "We pay close attention to the environment and try to keep our emissions as low as possible. We offset the rest. Our furniture is therefore 100% CO2-neutral".

The model is well received

Romer: "We quickly won our first customers". Especially during the COVID crisis, the demand for good office furniture at a fair price increased sharply once again: "Many had to equip their home office. But demand also increased among companies. For example, many had to spread their open-plan offices over several rooms. The fact that we can usually deliver within 24 hours plays a major role here".