Over the past five years, the online furniture market has experienced strong growth, due in large part to the rise in consumers’ confidence in purchasing online. COVID-19 will slow the expected growth of the category as consumers pull back spending as unemployment become a reality, and the US enters a recession. The stay-at-home mandates and shift to working from home will help sustain sales in the short term, and current store closures will drive consumers to shop online. As a result, online retailers are working to improve their digital capabilities and provide consumers with tools needed to help consumers evaluate and visualize how furniture pieces will fit into their homes.

• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior and the online furniture market

• How online furniture retailers can engage with consumers during the pandemic

• Types of furniture consumers are interested in purchasing online

• Importance of customizable and environmentally-friendly options moving forward

This Report was written April – May, 2020.

This Report focuses on the online furniture market. It offers sales trends, a snapshot of recent initiatives from key furniture retail players in the US market, as well as a detailed exploration of consumers’ attitudes, usage, and shopping behaviors in this category. The following furniture categories are included in this Report:

• Upholstered furniture

• Sleep equipment, including mattresses, springs, cots, waterbeds

• Sleep sofas, daybeds, futons, and other dual-purpose pieces

• Living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture (excluding mattresses/sleep equipment and sleep sofas/other dual-purpose pieces)

• Office furniture, including computer-related furniture

• Outdoor/patio furniture

• All other furniture including kitchen, dinette, etc.

This Report looks at consumer behavior when shopping for furniture online, not how they shop at physical furniture store locations. This is an online-only updated look from Furniture Retailing – US, August 2018.