Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Work from Home Reports Americans Spending Post-Pandemic
November 12,
2023 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
In an article in the Wall Street Journal, largely based on information from the Commerce Department and Census Bureau, they are reporting that “Americans are still spending more of their money on stuff than they did before the pandemic (and). There is little reason to think that is about to stop.”
Considering facts and data about the work-at-home nature the pandemic created as well as the government relief provided, it was no surprise that the supply chain, economy and inventories were affected as much as they were.
As time has passed, and all of these variables are sorting themselves out, especially the inventory backlogs and supply chains, however, some things are remaining fluid. People who remain at home to work “don’t avail themselves of some services as they used to.” This doesn’t mean they don’t still spend money, it’s just in different places.
The patterns in various areas of spending are revealed in the Commerce Department’s data. According to the Wall Street Journal Article, inflation-adjusted sales at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and book stores went “pretty much nowhere in the decade before the pandemic, in part because of the encroachment of online competitors. But in September, their real sales were 29% higher than the 2019 average.”
On the other side of that coin, people who work-from-home’s spending on healthcare “has pretty much recovered to its old trend” and “spending on clothing and footwear has fallen most of the way back down.”
Other retailers have noticed as well, Home Depot, Lowe’s, William’s Sonoma (including Pottery Barn, etc.), and Wayfair are all “expected to make about a third more in revenue this fiscal year than they did prepandemic.
In general, Americans’ “penchant for goods purchases might reflect a rethinking of priorities since the pandemic…that led people to prefer the dining room table over the restaurant.” According to the data from the Census Bureau, those selling furniture, electronics and appliances the ratio of inventory to sales that was 1.75 in December 2022 has, as of August, shrank back to 1.56, which is in line with prepandemic levels.
Check out the complete article in the Wall Street Journal, including data and links to other articles.