The internet is a powerful research tool for topics of all kinds - and that includes buying banqueting furniture.
In a new report from AMA Research, entitled Supply Chain Review of the Furniture Industry, the role of the internet - and how it has changed the market since 2007 - is spelled out.
The analysis groups internet selling alongside the direct sales and 'off the page' market, tracking trends between 2007 and 2011 in the ever-evolving industry.
However, those looking into buying banqueting furniture online might be particularly interested in the report's opinions on how the internet and the 'real' world can complement one another.
For instance, AMA Research notes the trend for people to carry out product research online, even if they intend to buy furniture in person.
This increased knowledge of products and of the market as a whole has led to new pricing pressures on many retailers - meaning there could be more bargains to be found now than in years gone by.
And with mobile internet access steadily improving too, it's now possible to shop online while standing in a bricks-and-mortar store, bridging the gap between physical products and their ecommerce equivalents in a whole new way.