Furniture & Home Furnishings Wholesalers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 10,200 furniture and home furnishings wholesalers in the US resell furniture and home furnishings to retailers, builders, and other commercial customers. Major product categories include flooring and floor coverings; office and business furniture; household and lawn furniture; and linens, domestics, curtains, and draperies. Most companies are small, independent operators that serve a local market.
Dependence On Housing And Construction
The furniture and home furnishings wholesale industry is highly dependent on downstream demand from the housing and construction markets, which is influenced by economic factors.
Competition From Alternative Sources
Furniture and home furnishings wholesalers face competition from a variety of alternative sources, including manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and other channels which allow customers to buy direct.
Industry size & Structure
The average furniture and home furnishings wholesaler operates out of a single location, employs about 11 workers, and generates $10-11 million in annual revenue.
- The furniture and home furnishings wholesale industry consists of about 10,200 companies that employ 114,000 workers and generate about $107.5 billion annually.
- The industry is fragmented; the top 50 companies account for 31% of industry revenue.
- Most companies are small, independent operators that serve a local market. Large companies include Arc International North America (subsidiary of Arc International SA, glassware and tableware distributor), Global Furniture USA, Furniture Wholesale Group, AAA Furniture Wholesale, and Building Plastics, Inc. (floor coverings).
- Some large furniture and home furnishings manufacturers are vertically-integrated and operate wholesale distribution warehouses that sell direct to commercial customers.
Industry Forecast
Furniture & Home Furnishings Wholesalers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Nov 21, 2024 - Inflation Falls, Labor Costs Rise
- Employment for furniture and home furnishings wholesalers fell in September 2024 year over year while labor costs increased, per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment by furniture and home furnishings wholesalers decreased 4.4% in September 2024 compared to a year ago. Average wages for nonsupervisory employees at furniture and home furnishings wholesalers increased 8.4% in September 2024 year over year, reaching $28.53 per hour. Producer inflation for furniture and home furnishings wholesalers was 4.6% lower in September 2024 compared to a year ago, according to BLS producer price data. Sales for furniture wholesalers rose 10% in July 2024 compared to a year ago and were up 8.2% month over month, according to the Census Bureau.
- Furniture costs are expected to increase according to a new study by the National Retail Federation (NRF) of the estimated impact of president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposals. The study looked at the effect of tariffs on prices of major consumer product categories including apparel, toys, furniture, household appliances, footwear and travel goods. Trump has proposed a universal 10-20% tariff on imports from all countries and an additional tax on imports from China. Per the NRF study, consumers would pay $13.9 billion to $24 billion more for apparel, $8.8 billion to $14.2 billion more for toys, $8.5 billion to $13.1 more for furniture, and $6.4 billion to $10.9 billion more for household appliances with the proposed tariffs in place. The study showed the tariffs would have a “significant and detrimental impact” on the costs of a wide range of consumer products, in particular those products supplied primarily by China.
- Consumer confidence levels increased in October 2024, improving in all five components of the Consumer Confidence Index, according to The Conference Board. The index was 108.7 in October 2024 from 99.2 in September 2024. Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, noted that confidence was the highest among those between the ages of 35 to 54 and those in the income category of over $100,000. Per Peterson, “Consumer confidence recorded the strongest monthly gain since March 2021, but still did not break free of the narrow range that has prevailed over the past two years.” Plans to purchase homes and new cars rose on a six-month average basis.
- Home remodeling spending, a demand driver for the furniture industry, is expected to trend higher through the first half of 2025, following a modest slowdown, according to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) report released by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. Homeowner improvement and repair spending is expected to reach $466 billion through the second quarter of 2025. Spending on residential remodeling has been more limited due to economic uncertainty and continued weakness in home sales and the sale of building materials. The report noted that homeowners are making upgrades and repairs to their homes at a steadier pace following several years of frenzied activity during the pandemic.
Get A Demo
Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence Platform
See for yourself why over 60,000 users trust Vertical IQ for their industry research and call preparation needs. Our easy-to-digest industry insights save call preparation time and help differentiate you from the competition.
Build valuable, lasting relationships by having smarter conversations -
check out Vertical IQ today.