Monthly Issue
From Home Furnishing Business
Editor’s Note: You Say The Economy is Improving, Where is Mine?
January 27,
2024 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
by Bob George,
After the rush of holidays, the industry is getting back to a new year. The new year has been a shock with sales down 20%+ for the first three weeks of the year, never mind the blizzards running from the Midwest to the East, the football playoffs, and the continuous noise from politics.
Where is the traffic? It is true that traffic was down in December 4% from 2022 and 15% from November 2023. The fact is that the industry is as nervous as “cats in a room with rocking chairs.” They don’t know where to sit. Looking at those factors that influence our industry, having seven out of 15 factors being positive should give us some degree of confidence. However for the true “North Star,” the consumer, they are holding steady at least through November. We need to remain positive – steady as we go.
