Reupholstery and Furniture Repair NAICS 811420

Jul 29, 2025 - Families Turning to Refurbished Items for Back-To-College Shopping

• Furniture repair and reupholstery services may benefit from budget-conscious families turning to used or refurbished items for dorm/furniture shopping, according to an annual back-to-college spending survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics in Home Furnishings News. Dorm/apartment furnishings spending is expected to grow 5% in 2025, reaching $12.8 billion. Under financial pressure, college-bound families are making budget-minded choices in spending, such as buying used or refurbished items, which may need repair, and using buy now or pay later services. Total back-to-college spending is expected to reach $88.8 billion in 2025, up from $86.6 billion a year ago. While overall spending is on the rise, the per-person spending for back-to-college fell to an average of $1,325 from $1,364 in 2024, which can be attributed to higher-income households continuing to spend and lower-income households cutting back across categories due to economic uncertainty.
• Consumer sentiment, an indicator of discretionary spending, increased slightly in July 2025, rising to 61.8 in preliminary July data from 60.7 in June, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The consumer sentiment index from the University of Michigan hit a recent peak in December of 74, buoyed following the presidential election, but dropped to 52.2 in April 2025 as consumers expressed uncertainty about tariff effects and rising inflation. In July, respondents’ inflation expectations for the coming year were an anticipated price increase of 4.4%, which was tracking higher than in January, when respondents expected prices to grow by 3.9%. However, July’s inflation expectation results were lower than June’s, when respondents expected a 5% price increase for the coming year. The index serves as a predictor of consumer spending as it indicates consumers’ perception of their financial prospects and the broader economy.

• Sales for the US reupholstery and furniture repair services industry are projected to grow at a CAGR of 1.26% between 2025 and 2029, slower than the overall economy‘s anticipated growth, according to a forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. Reupholstery and furniture repair services are part of the “other services sector,” which is driven by consumer spending, along with expenditure by businesses. Consumer sentiment is expected to improve in the forecast period, which bodes well for the various services industries, including reupholstery and furniture repair services. Many segments of the other services sector are recovering from a downturn during the pandemic. Factors that may limit consumer spending during the forecast window include higher tariffs on consumer goods.
• The price of upholstery services increased in 2025 across all segments, closely aligning with the 10% increase in the US services inflation rate over the past two years, according to the National Upholstery Association’s (NUA) annual Pricing Survey. The survey noted that rising overhead and labor costs, driven by higher living costs and the need to attract and retain skilled help, are likely contributing to the higher prices. Demand for upholstery services has remained steady, with many operators reporting waitlists of six to 12 months, suggesting consumers are willing to wait to invest in a quality product rather than turn to a less durable, mass-produced product. According to the NUA, residential upholstery has no official pricing standard. For example, some charge by the piece, the hour, the inch/foot/percentage, or a different standard. The 2025 survey was conducted before the wide-ranging US tariff rollouts, which may further impact prices in the months ahead.