Furniture Stores

Furniture Stores

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry sell household, outdoor, and office furniture; as well as furniture sold in combination with home appliances or home furnishings. Major companies include Ashley HomeStore, Crate & Barrel, Raymour & Flanigan, RH (formerly Restoration Hardware), Rooms To Go, and Williams-Sonoma (all based in the US), as well as ASIAN DAVINCI TRADING COMPANY (China), HOLA Home Furnishings (Taiwan), and IKEA (Sweden).

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. Large companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing and distribution. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing. The US industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies generate about 50% of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products include indoor home furniture (64%); mattresses, box springs, and air mattresses (18%); office equipment and furniture (3%); and outdoor or patio furniture (3%). Most retail furniture stores sell a broad range of products, but some concentrate on one furniture type, such as mattresses, sofas, or outdoor, office or children's furniture. Store operations involve sales management, merchandising (deciding which products to sell), inventory management, and (sometimes) credit financing.