Report Summary

Period covered: 01 February - 28 February 2026

3 minute read

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. Become a member to access this data or take out a free 30 day membership trial now.

Homewares sales rose by xx% year-on-year in February, easing on the previous month and below the xx% increase recorded a year earlier.

Performance was steadier than more discretionary home-related categories, supported by lower-ticket purchasing and everyday household demand.

Key trading themes and drivers

Demand softened in February as discounting eased, with fewer triggers to drive incremental spend. Shoppers who had refreshed their homes during clearance periods showed limited urgency to engage.

Price-led growth continued to mask underlying volume weakness. Basket values remained constrained as consumers prioritised value and traded down where possible. Promotional activity remained important, particularly online, helping to maintain engagement without materially lifting volumes.

Weather conditions influenced category dynamics. Persistent rainfall reduced store visits and dampened demand for seasonal home refresh purchases. At the same time, increased time spent at home supported selective spending on practical and comfort-led items, including kitchenware, storage and soft furnishings.

Consumer behaviour continued to favour smaller, manageable purchases over larger commitments. Households remained focused on essential spending, with homewares benefiting from its position as a lower-ticket way to refresh living spaces. This supported demand for items linked to organisation, cleaning and incremental upgrades.

Event-led demand provided only limited support. Valentine’s Day lifted sales in gifting homeware categories, including decorative items and candles, but this was short-lived and not sufficient to change the overall trajectory.

Impact on retail categories

Within homewares, performance varied across sub-categories. Kitchenware and food preparation items performed relatively well, supported by increased at-home cooking and seasonal occasions. 

Soft furnishings delivered stable performance, benefiting from consumers investing in comfort-led purchases. Decorative items and gifting categories saw short-term uplift around Valentine’s Day, though demand was not sustained.

Higher-value homeware items and discretionary decor saw weaker engagement, as consumers deferred non-essential purchases. 

Online channels supported growth, particularly for lower-ticket items and promotional ranges. However, as with other home categories, physical retail remains important for inspiration and browsing, and weaker footfall constrained overall performance.

Outlook

The outlook for homewares remains stable but constrained. Demand is expected to remain focused on essential, practical and lower-ticket items, with limited appetite for discretionary upgrades.

Seasonal factors and improving weather may support a gradual pick up in demand, particularly for spring-related ranges. However, any improvement is likely to be deliberate, and dependent on consumer confidence.

Promotional activity will continue to play a key role in driving engagement, particularly in online channels. Retailers will need to balance this with margin considerations as cost pressures persist.

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CPI remained at 3.0% YoY in February