A furniture retailer, furniture store or furniture shop is a retail businesses that sells furniture and related accessories. Furniture retailers usually sell general furniture (like beds, tables, bookcases and wardrobes), seats and upholstered suites (like couches or sofas and chairs), and specialised items produced for a commission. [1] They may sell a range of styles to suit different homes and personal tastes, [2] or specialise in particular styles like retro style furniture. [3]
Many stores also sell outdoor or garden furniture, such as dining tables, coffee tables, seats and couches, which are designed to be waterproof, rust-resistant and weather-proof rather than to follow modern indoor design trends. [4]
Furniture retail sales directly correlate with the state of the economy and housing market. When interest rates are lower and housing sales are higher, like in the United States in the early 1990s, sales of household and garden furniture increases. When business conditions are positive, like in the United States in the late 1990s, sales of furniture for offices, hotels and restaurants increases. [5]
The sector dates back the middle of the 19th century, when furniture sellers in North America and Europe began buying furniture from manufacturers at wholesale prices, and selling them to consumers in showrooms at higher prices. Many early showrooms had workshops to build specialty items. [5]
By the early 20th century, most production of furniture was common in the United States, with major manufacturing centers in Jamestown, New York, High Point, North Carolina and Grand Rapids, Michigan. However, hand-crafted items remained in demand and furniture factories remained small. [5]
World War II created a global shortage of wood products, preventing the production of furniture. [5] [1]
The sale of mass-produced furniture in showrooms became more common in the second half of the twentieth century. The introduction of new materials, machinery, adhesives and finishes made it more difficult to distinguish commercially and handcrafted furniture. [6] Many furniture retailers formed exclusive relationships with furniture manufacturers. [5]
Inter IKEA Systems B.V., trading as IKEA, is a multinational conglomerate, founded in Sweden but now headquartered in the Netherlands, that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been the world's largest furniture retailer since 2008. The brand name is an acronym of founder Ingvar Kamprad's initials; Elmtaryd, the family farm where Kamprad was born; and the nearby village of Agunnaryd, Kamprad's hometown in Småland, southern Sweden.
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world and is the world's largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine as of 2016. Costco is ranked #11 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Costco uses a club warehouse wholesale retailer channel of distribution while also selling their private label brand directly to consumers.
The Warehouse Group (TWG) was established by Stephen Tindall in 1982 and is the largest retail group in operation in New Zealand. It is a corporate conglomerate that consists of The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery and Noel Leeming.
A big-box store, a hyperstore, a supercenter, a superstore, or a megastore is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store. The term "big-box" references the typical appearance of buildings occupied by such stores.
MFI Group Limited was a British furniture retailer, operating under the MFI brand. The company was one of the largest suppliers of kitchens and bedroom furniture in the United Kingdom, and operated mainly in retail parks in out of town locations. Anecdotally, it was said at one stage that one in three Sunday lunches in the United Kingdom were cooked in a kitchen from MFI, and 60% of British children were conceived in a bedroom from MFI.
Service Merchandise was a retail chain of catalog showrooms carrying jewelry, toys, sporting goods and electronics. The company, which first began in 1934 as a five-and-dime store, was in existence for 68 years before ceasing operations in 2002.
A catalog merchant is a form of retailing. The typical merchant sells a wide variety of household and personal products, with many emphasizing jewelry. Unlike a self-serve retail store, most of the items are not displayed; customers select the products from printed catalogs in the store and fill out an order form. The order is brought to the sales counter, where a clerk retrieves the items from the warehouse area to a payment and checkout station.
World Market, formerly Cost Plus World Market, is an American chain of specialty/import retail stores, selling home furniture, decor, curtains, rugs, gifts, apparel, coffee, wine, craft beer, and international food products. The brand's original name came from the initial concept, since abandoned, of selling items for "cost plus 10%". The company was owned by Bed Bath & Beyond from 2012 to 2021, and is currently headquartered in Alameda, California.
Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. is an American home furnishings manufacturer and retailer, headquartered in Arcadia, Wisconsin. The company is owned by father and son team Ron and Todd Wanek. Ashley Furniture manufactures and distributes home furniture products throughout the world.
Raymour & Flanigan is a family-owned American furniture retail chain, based in the Northeastern United States.
Designers Guild is an international home and lifestyle company with a flagship store and showrooms on Kings Road and Marylebone High Street in London, as well as offices in London, Paris, and Munich.
Stollers is a British-based home furnishings retailer. It is located at Walney Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is currently one of the largest single site furniture stores in the country.
The Mine is an American e-commerce company which sells home goods. Formerly known as ATG Stores, the company was founded in 1999 and now sells a variety of home items including furniture, lighting and home decor. The company's headquarters are currently in Kirkland, Washington and is owned by Lowe's Home Improvement.
Oak Furnitureland is a British furniture retailer specialising in fully assembled hardwood cabinet and dining furniture, and sofa ranges. The company has stores across the UK, with its headquarters in Swindon in Wiltshire, England.
Furnitureland South in Jamestown, North Carolina is the largest retail furniture store in the United States with 1.3 million square feet and $180 million in sales as of 2004. Called "the Walt Disney World of Furniture", the store is known for its 85-foot-tall highboy, and is the first of the group of stores which in 2004 came to be known as "Furniture Row" as well as "Gateway to the Furniture Capital of the World."
Loaf is a British company, which operates as a high street retailer. Charlie Marshall founded the retail brand, which was formerly known as The Sleep Room. Their showrooms are mainly focused around the London area.
Trump Home is a brand of furniture and home items initially marketed by American businessman and former President of the United States Donald Trump and owned by Trump's company, The Trump Organization.
Arhaus, Inc. is an American retail chain that designs and sells home furnishings online and through its retail stores and catalogs. The company is headquartered in Boston Heights, Ohio.
The retail format influences the consumer's store choice and addresses the consumer's expectations. At its most basic level, a retail format is a simple marketplace, that is; a location where goods and services are exchanged. In some parts of the world, the retail sector is still dominated by small family-run stores, but large retail chains are increasingly dominating the sector, because they can exert considerable buying power and pass on the savings in the form of lower prices. Many of these large retail chains also produce their own private labels which compete alongside manufacturer brands. Considerable consolidation of retail stores has changed the retail landscape, transferring power away from wholesalers and into the hands of the large retail chains.
Barkers or Barkers Men's Clothing is a New Zealand menswear fashion brand and retail chain. It has 33 stores around the country, including 14 in Auckland. It was established in Auckland CBD in 1972, and is headquartered in Grafton, Auckland. The chain sells a range of men's clothing, including shirts, knitwear, pants, jeans, sweatshirts, jackets and coats, blazers, t-shirts, shorts, polo shirts, socks, ties and belts.