UK Furniture & Flooring Industry Report summary
June 2021
Period covered: Period covered: 02 May – 29 May 2021
Note: This report summary is one or two months behind the current month as standard reporting practice. The content is indicative only and incomplete with certain data undisclosed. Subscribe to access this data or take out a free 30 day subscription trial now.
Furniture & Flooring sales ballooned by 00% year-on-year in May, this compares to a 64.7% decline in May 2020 when the UK was in its first lockdown.
On a two-year pre-pandemic basis, furniture and flooring sales rose 30.6% in May as the reopening of stores allowed pent-up demand to be released.
After the third national lockdown ended, the reopening of shops on April 12 triggered outdoor shopping behaviour which saw sectors such as Furniture & Flooring, and Clothing & Footwear that were restrained during the pandemic, now growing at triple digits consecutively and outpacing other sectors.
Furniture & Flooring exhibited the strongest sales growth for the second month in a row. Similarly, this category grew by 00% when compared to pre-pandemic levels (May 2019).
We are seeing online spending habits settling in the F&F sector, especially on soft furniture items. Despite the increase in in-store purchases, online spending on household goods rose by 00% this month.
Google search analysis showed that online searches for items like “living room chairs”, “fitted bedrooms” and “fitted bathrooms” soared YoY at 279%, 278% and 228% respectively in May. Hence, compelling retailers to integrate online channels in their propositions.
Lastly, offices are equipping themselves with furniture that responds to new norms in response to a hybrid-style of work between the home and office. We are expecting to see a rise in this particular segment as workers are allowed to return to work in their offices.
We expect demand for furniture and flooring to bounce back in 2021 as stores re-open, with planned purchases more likely to have been deferred than cancelled entirely
Dreams is set to be acquired by mattress and bedding manufacturer Tempur Sealy for £340m, following an eight-year turnaround. Dreams chief executive Mike Logue will remain in place.
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Strong demand sends UK house prices to record highs
Source: Source: Halifax, Nationwide
