Monthly Issue
From Home Furnishing Business
What Sells: Dining Room Rebirth
April 9,
2021 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
Who doesn’t love a comeback story? The pandemic has pushed everyone back into their homes and the dining room is reaping the benefits – albeit in non-traditional ways. The space has turned into a catchall for home offices, virtual school, art studios, and sometimes eating together as a family. Consumers are now driven to more casual and practical furniture that can incorporate the variety of activities taking place in the modern dining room.
According to John Miranda, executive vice president at Jofran Inc., “As people are making the change to work from home and distance learning the demand for casual dining has increased. Families are looking for solutions to their newfound working and learning environment. By replacing their old tables with a larger one or something with built-in storage, it is allowing them to be more productive and efficient.” Other manufacturers agree. Cindy Shockey, Simply Amish furniture designer and sales representative says, “The demand for a more casual, yet highly practical, living space is on the rise as consumers want to truly live in and experience all parts of their home. Gone are the days of creating rooms that are too formal to be used or that are only used on special occasions. And yet, we want our spaces to feel unique and timeless. Practical and timeless do not have to mean that design or style take a back seat, quite the opposite.”
During the twentieth century, dining rooms became a part of the home where many Americans invested most of the decorating dollars - furnishing the room with chandeliers, large tables, and sideboards filled with expensive crystal, china, and silver. With the influx of open floor plans across the country, the defined dining room had all but disappeared. Now in the midst of COVID 19, the dining room’s appeal has reemerged as a place to both share meals and conduct daily life. And proof is the uptick in sales.
Versatility and variety is driving current bestsellers’ success. Don Montgomery, vice president of sales for Emerald Home Furnishings says, “Our best-selling table options in both size and application answer the basic questions for every consumer looking to update their dining area….will it fit where I want to use it? Soft finishes complimented by rich, dark tones addresses the second question…is it the right color? And finally, once in the home, our product establishes the buyer as a discerning shopper who appreciates a quality product.”
According to a FurnitureCore, Inc. industry model developed by Impact Consulting Services, parent company to Home Furnishings Business, dining room industry sales have jumped from $11.5 million in 2019 to $12.5 Million in 2020 — an increase of 9.2% and $46.2 million above the total 8.8% furniture growth for the entire industry. While dining room furniture sales growth was stagnant in the second quarter of 2020, due to stay-at-home orders and buyer uncertainty, sales rebounded by 16.6% in the third quarter and 12.8% in the final quarter of last year. Expect this category to continue to evolve as consumers look to create more functional space within every room.
