Home Furniture & Housewares Stores Industry Profile

Companies in this industry sell new furniture, home furnishings, and floor coverings. Major companies include Bed Bath & Beyond, Havertys, La-Z-Boy, Pier 1 Imports, Rooms to Go, and Williams-Sonoma (all based in the US), as well as Argos (UK), HOLA Home Furnishing (Taiwan), and IKEA (Netherlands).

Leading countries for furniture and home furnishings by revenue include the US, China, Germany, France, and the UK, according to Statista. Demand is driven by the rising residential and commercial construction, as well as the increasing expenditure for home décor-especially for millennials. Retailers are adding outlets in emerging markets as they see foreseeable growth.

The US home furniture and housewares stores industry includes about 51,000 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with annual revenue of about $113 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by personal income and is tied to home sales. The profitability of stores depends on the right merchandising mix and marketing. Large companies have advantages in volume purchasing and breadth of product line. Small companies may thrive by focusing on a specific market segment and delivering superior service. The US industry is fragmented: the 50 largest companies generate less than 50% of revenue.

Competition for operators of home furniture and housewares stores comes from multiple retail channels, including discount department stores, online-only retailers, and sellers of used furniture. Key online players in home furniture and housewares sales include Amazon, Wayfair, and Williams-Sonoma. While ...