Furniture Stores

The 12,700 furniture retailers in the US sell new furniture and furniture-related goods, such as appliances, home electronics, home furnishings, and floor coverings. Major product categories include living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture; upholstered furniture; sleep equipment (mattresses, waterbeds); kitchen/dinette furniture; office furniture; and sleeper sofas, daybeds, and futons. Companies may specialize in a particular type of product (sofas, beds), style (contemporary, traditional), or price tier.

Dependence On Credit

Furniture is a large ticket purchase and many consumers depend on credit for funding.

Competition From Alternative Retailers

Furniture stores compete with a variety of alternative retailers, including department stores, retail arms of furniture manufacturers, mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, home furnishings stores, and Internet and catalog retailers.

Jul 23, 2026 - NRF Sees Strong Dorm Furnishings Season

• Back-to-college demand is expected to provide a bright spot for US furniture 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, furniture 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.
• June's CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor points to a stable but slower environment for US furniture stores, with furniture 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. Furniture retailers may continue relying on promotions and seasonal sales to drive traffic until demand for larger-ticket home furnishings strengthens.
• A newly released Provoke Insights survey highlights weak brand loyalty in the US furniture store industry, creating both challenges and opportunities for retailers competing on price, service, and quality, according to a Furniture Today report. Furniture ranked among the lowest of 13 categories for brand loyalty, with only one-third of consumers saying brand name matters when shopping for furniture. Nearly half (47%) said they would switch to a similar unbranded product if priced lower. Quality was the top loyalty driver for furniture buyers at 53%, while declining quality (34%) and price increases (31%) were the biggest reasons shoppers abandoned brands. The survey also found furniture shoppers rely heavily on brand recognition (53%) and customer reviews (40%) to narrow choices. Despite inflation concerns elsewhere, only 22% of consumers noticed higher furniture prices, suggesting retailers may face continued pressure to maintain promotional pricing and value positioning.
• Legal challenges to previously imposed tariffs could provide meaningful financial relief for the US furniture retail industry, according to a Furniture Today report. At least nine home-related companies, including four retailers such as City Furniture and American Furniture Warehouse, have filed claims seeking refunds of tariffs deemed unconstitutional under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. A US Court of International Trade judge has indicated that companies that paid these tariffs are due refunds, potentially offsetting prior cost burdens tied to global sourcing. Industry participants note tariffs had pressured margins, prompting pricing adjustments to mitigate costs. For furniture retailers, potential reimbursements could improve profitability and cash flow, while reinforcing the importance of trade policy developments for a sector heavily reliant on imports. The outcome may also influence future pricing strategies and sourcing decisions across the broader home furnishings market.

Industry size & Structure

The average furniture store operates out of a single location, employs 16 workers, and generates about $6.2 million annually.

• The furniture store industry consists of about 12,700 companies that employ about 200,000 workers and generate about $72.8 billion annually.
• Some companies are vertically-integrated - large retailers, such as Ethan Allen, may produce proprietary lines of furnishings.
• The industry is fragmented; the top 50 firms account for 54% of industry sales.
• Large companies include Ashley Furniture, Rooms to Go, Mattress Firm, and Haverty's.