In New Zealand, our default position is to think about new outdoor furniture in Spring, as the days get longer and the days warmer. However, 2026 has thrown the old rulebook out the window.
We’ve all seen the headlines about the Strait of Hormuz and the spike in global oil prices. While that might feel like a world away, it has a very direct impact on the beautiful, big-ticket items we bring into our homes here in NZ.
As retail business owners, we wanted to speak up about the supply and availability of outdoor furniture in NZ, specifically the impact of disruptions in future supply and the impact on the cost of our outdoor products. If you’re looking to invest in outdoor furniture this year, here is the “behind the curtain” look at why the best time to move may actually be right now.
Everything at Outside Space is sourced from across the globe- from Asia to Spain. This means every outdoor sofa, dining table and sun umbrella currently in stock has already made its journey across the ocean.
We paid for the shipping and the fuel costs months ago, long before the current crisis sent oil prices beyond $US110 a barrel.
The price of our ‘in stock’ items is currently locked in because they are based on pre-March shipping rates. The next shipment arriving in New Zealand will inevitably carry the weight of new fuel surcharges and higher freight costs. Buying what is already on our shores is the smartest way to avoid paying more.
Well-made, robust outdoor furniture is bulky. It doesn’t take many outdoor lounge suites to fill a shipping container.
When fuel prices rise, the cost of moving “big” items climbs much faster than anything else. As shipping lines adjust to the 2026 energy landscape, the cost of moving these large pieces to New Zealand is becoming a significant variable. By choosing from our current collection, you’re effectively bypassing the most volatile shipping market we’ve seen since 2020.
It’s not just the journey across the ocean that’s getting more expensive; it’s the journey from our warehouse to your front door. In the last few weeks, New Zealand’s domestic freight carriers have had to adjust their rates almost weekly to keep up with diesel prices.
We recently quoted a customer for a delivery of a corner suite from Auckland to Wellington. In the 5 working days from our quote to the customer’s order placement, the third-party transport cost had already jumped by $50.
In that instance, we absorbed the cost, but it was a wake-up call. It showed us that the “logistics tax” is no longer a slow climb—it’s a daily shift. Locking in your purchase today doesn’t just save you on the furniture; it locks in today’s delivery rates before the next round of surcharges hits the transport industry.
We’re consumers too, and we’re just like you are. We’ve spent the last month assessing our purchasing options, and hearing anecdotal stories about how hard it is to get hold of an electric car or even an e-bike in NZ right now—the stock is simply gone as everyone tries to hedge against fuel prices.
With some exceptions, our product is in stock and at prices that haven’t yet been touched by this month’s shipping and diesel spikes. We can’t make the same assurances with stock that hasn’t landed in NZ yet.
We invite you to visit us online or drop in to our showroom. Secure the pieces you love while they are here, at the prices they were meant to be.
