The Rise of E-Commerce in the Furniture Industry Furniture Industry Sales by Retailer Type Selected Years: 2004 to 2015
September 16,
2016 by Jane Chero in General 
This is the first factoid in a series of four factoids showing the rise of E-Commerce in the Furniture Industry. With the sophistication of the internet has come the booming growth of e-commerce. The combined furniture and home furnishings industry has been one of the big recipients of this growth second only to the clothing/footwear industry. It is estimated that 2015 internet sales of furniture alone now totals an estimated $14 billion or 15 percent of furniture industry sales.
Since the bottom of the recession in 2009, total furniture industry sales have grown 24.1 percent, and much of that growth can be attributed to the rise in e-commerce. Actual brick and mortar store sales of furniture are up 13.8 percent since 2009 while e-commerce has grown by 168 percent.
In 2004, e-commerce sales were inconsequential in relation to brick and mortar store sales which accounted for 93.4 percent of the total furniture industry. Over eleven years, the share of e-commerce has grown from 3.2 percent to 15.3 percent in 2015, while brick and mortar sales fell to 82.9 percent of total furniture dollars.
Along with furniture e-commerce sales, other home furnishings products – floor covering, window treatments and home accessories – have grown at an even faster pace than furniture. While furniture e-commerce sales have grown 440 percent since 2004, home furnishings have growth 697 percent to $13.9 billion. The next factoid in this series will take a closer look at brick and mortar stores e-commerce.
Source: Impact Consulting Services, Inc. proprietary industry model and U.S. Census Bureau’s E-Commerce Report issued June 2016 covering years 2004 to 2014