"Like all industries, furniture makers and sellers are dealing with higher expenses: utilities, insurance, wages. Big cost spikes came during the pandemic, when shoppers raced to buy desks for home offices and patio sets, and shipping costs soared. But if you ask furniture industry insiders, the first thing they'll reply is that the price of furniture has actually grown slower than overall inflation, which has risen nearly 26% since February 2020."
"And then the experts will note that prices are down from their peak in 2022. And then like David Koehler did they'll deliver the popular adage: "You could buy a $399 sofa in 1984, and you could still buy a $399 sofa today," says Koehler, who runs the Delaware chain Johnny Janosik Furniture. Of course, not everyone wants a $399 sofa, but the fact that it still exists makes furniture different from other big-ticket items, like cars or appliances."
Bedroom furniture prices rose about 11% since February 2020 while living room, kitchen and dining room furniture rose about 25%. Overall inflation climbed nearly 26% in the same period, so furniture has grown more slowly than general inflation and is down from a 2022 peak. Pandemic-driven demand for home office and outdoor items, plus surging shipping costs, pushed costs higher, while ongoing higher utilities, insurance and wages raise expenses. Mass-market sellers face low barriers to entry, intense fragmentation and competition from second‑hand goods and other consumer spending priorities, which pressure prices downward.
Read at www.npr.org
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