Furniture Stores Industry Profile

Companies in this industry sell household furniture and mattresses to consumers. Major companies include Ashley Furniture Industries, Bassett Furniture, Haverty Furniture, La-Z-Boy, and Rooms To Go (all based in the US) as well as DaVinci (China), HOLA Home Furnishing (Taiwan), Home Retail Group (UK), and IKEA (Sweden).

Internationally, India, Russia, China, and countries in Eastern Europe are undergoing strong economic growth, which is creating additional disposable income. Real estate booms in these emerging markets are fueling demand for furniture.

The US furniture retailing industry includes about 17,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $50 billion and is expected to grow at a high rate for the next two years. Key growth drivers include consumer spending and new home and commercial construction.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Household furniture sales are closely linked to home sales. Office furniture sales are linked to employment growth and new business formations. The profitability of furniture stores depends on merchandising and marketing. Small stores can co-exist with large ones by carrying special goods that appeal to a particular type of customer. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest companies generate about 35 percent of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

A typical furniture store sells living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom furniture, along with mattresses. Products are sometimes classified as "case goods" (wood furniture) or upholstered products. Most retail furniture stores sell a broad range of products, but some concentrate on ...