Home Furnishings Stores

The 16,700 home furnishings retailers in the US sell housewares, tableware, giftware, décor, linens, lighting, floor coverings, and window treatments. Home furnishings include most home-related goods, but exclude furniture. Companies that specialize in general home furnishings account for 54% of industry revenue; floor coverings retailers are 43%; window treatment retailers are 3%.

Competition From Alternative Retailers

Home furnishings stores face competition from a variety of alternative retailers, including mass merchandisers, department stores, Internet-based and catalog retailers, outlet stores, and home shopping networks.

Demand Driven By Trends

The home furnishings market is influenced by trends and fads related to fashion.

Jul 23, 2026 - Strong Dorm Furnishings Season Forecast

• Back-to-college demand is expected to provide a bright spot for US home furnishings stores, as the National Retail Federation forecasts a 9.4% increase in spending on dorm and apartment furnishings even as consumers grapple with rising debt and dwindling savings. NRF expects total back-to-college spending to exceed $100 billion for the first time and does not anticipate a significant decline in consumer spending during the second half of 2026. However, home furnishings retailers will continue to face a cautious consumer environment, with credit card delinquency rates near 13%, the personal savings rate falling to 3.0%, and inflation weighing on household budgets. While seasonal demand should support sales of dorm and apartment furnishings, retailers may need to emphasize value, promotions, and affordable financing to sustain momentum as consumers remain selective with discretionary purchases.
• Consumer confidence and sentiment both improved in recent weeks, a positive sign for US home furnishings stores as easing consumer concerns could support demand for discretionary home purchases, though shoppers remain cautious. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index edged up to 91.2 in June as expectations for business conditions and incomes improved, although views of the labor market weakened and consumers' plans to buy furniture moderated further. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's preliminary July Consumer Sentiment Index rose 9.9% to 54.4, its highest reading since February, while the Current Economic Conditions Index increased 15.1% to 54.9 and the Consumer Expectations Index rose 6.5% to 54.0. Despite improving confidence and lower year-ahead inflation expectations, all three Michigan indexes remained below year-ago levels, suggesting home furnishings stores may see gradually improving demand but continued price sensitivity for higher-ticket purchases.
• June's CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor points to a stable but slower environment for US home furnishings and furniture stores, with industry sales lagging broader retail despite continued consumer spending. Overall retail sales excluding autos and gasoline increased 0.33% from May and 9.41% year over year, while core retail sales rose 0.36% month over month and 10.08% year over year. Furniture and home furnishings store sales, however, slipped 0.16% from May but remained 4.92% above year-ago levels. The weaker monthly performance suggests consumers are still prioritizing other discretionary purchases despite healthy overall spending. Home furnishings retailers may continue relying on promotions and seasonal sales to drive traffic until demand strengthens.
• The US home and housewares market showed mixed but stabilizing demand in 2025, a positive signal for the broader home furnishings industry. According to the International Housewares Association’s MarketScope report, total home and housewares sales dipped just 0.5% to $77.12 billion, while small appliance sales rose 1% to $44.94 billion. Growth in kitchen electrics and cookware/bakeware, both up 4%, reflects consumers continuing to cook, entertain and spend more time at home. Categories tied to convenience, air quality and home comfort also gained traction. IHA and Circana attributed growth to at-home lifestyles, replacement purchases, weather shifts and product innovation. The report also highlights the industry’s accelerating digital shift, with 60% of purchases made online in 2025, up from 58% a year earlier.

Industry size & Structure

A typical home furnishings store operates out of a single location, employs about 12 workers, and generates $3.7 million annually.

• The home furnishings retail industry consists of about 16,700 companies that employ about 208,500 workers and generate $61.9 billion annually.

• Companies that specialize in general home furnishings account for 56% of industry revenue; floor coverings retailers are 41%; window treatment retailers are 3%.

• The general home furnishings retailing segment of the industry is somewhat concentrated, with the top 20 firms accounting for 54% of sector sales. The floor covering and window treatment retailing industries are fragmented.

• Large companies include CCA Global Partners (Carpet One, Flooring America), Williams Sonoma, At Home, and Crate and Barrel.