Home Furnishings Stores
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 17,000 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.
Industry size & Structure
A typical home furnishings store operates out of a single location, employs about 13 workers, and generates $3.6 million annually.
- The home furnishings retail industry consists of about 17,000 companies that employ about 220,400 workers and generate $61 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 49% 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.
Industry Forecast
Home Furnishings Stores Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 23, 2025 - Inflation Down, Employment Up
- Producer inflation for furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers fell 4.1% in November 2024 compared to a year ago, according to producer price data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employment by home furnishings retailers rose 2% in October 2024 compared to a year ago. Average wages for nonsupervisory employees at home furnishings retailers grew 1.1% in October 2024 year over year, reaching $22.62 per hour, per the BLS. Economic activity in the services sector expanded in December 2024 for the sixth consecutive month, according to the Services ISM Report on Business. The Services PMI registered 54.1% in December, up 2 percentage points from November. Nine of the 18 services industries reported growth in December, including the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Retail Trade; and Wholesale Trade industries.
- Consumers are eager to embrace life’s special moments and year-round celebrations, according to the 2025 Occasions and 2025 At-Home Entertaining reports from the International Housewares Association (IHA). Inflation has been a factor in making the home a more attractive place for socializing, per the Occasions report. Nearly half of survey respondents held casual gatherings involving food and drink in 2024, and 24% of consumers say they are more likely to host a gathering in the upcoming year. The most likely time frame for a gathering is October to December, with nearly 50% saying they would entertain during this time. The most popular gathering style of serving food is buffet/self-serve (50%) followed by sit-down meals (37%). According to IHA President and CEO Derek Miller, “The pandemic’s lasting impact reshaped traditional gatherings and the way people mark important milestones. The survey results show consumers have adapted, rescheduled and reimagined key life events, settling into new traditions and rekindling their passion for at-home entertaining — a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.”
- A new study by the National Retail Federation (NRF) of the estimated impact of president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposals shows the tariffs could increase costs of major consumer product categories including apparel, toys, furniture, household appliances, footwear and travel goods. The study looked at the impact of Trump’s proposed universal 10-20% tariff on imports from all countries and an additional tax on imports from China. Per the study, consumers would pay $13.9 billion to $24 billion more for apparel, $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. US retailers would be unable to absorb the increased costs and would need to raise prices “higher than many consumers would be willing or able to pay.” According to Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president of supply chain and customs policy, “Retailers rely heavily on imported products and manufacturing components so that they can offer their customers a variety of products at affordable prices. A tariff is a tax paid by the U.S. importer, not a foreign country or the exporter. This tax ultimately comes out of consumers’ pockets through higher prices.”
- Shoppers continued to flex their omnichannel shopping muscles in the 2024 holiday shopping season, with a 7.5% increase year over year in Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) and Reserve Online, Pick Up in Store (ROPIS) transactions, according to Chain Store Age. The report from Locally found that nearly 50% of online shoppers abandoned their carts when local pickup wasn’t an option. Over 90% of leading retailers are expected to adopt ominichannel strategies. According to Locally CEO Mike Massey, "The data shows a clear and sustained shift toward local retail as a preferred choice. Consumers increasingly demanded the flexibility to browse and buy on their terms, and local retailers were quick to respond with omnichannel strategies that bridged the gap between digital and physical commerce.”
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