Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
September 13,
2013 by in Economic News, Industry 
U.S. retail sales rose less than expected in August even as demand increased for automobiles and other big-ticket items, the latest sign that economic growth slowed in the third quarter.
The Commerce Department said on Friday retail sales increased 0.2 percent last month as Americans bought automobiles, furniture and electronics and appliances.
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Source: Yahoo! News
September 5,
2013 by in Economic News, Industry
Good news for furniture land! For the first time since 2009, previously occupied U.S. homes are selling at a pace associated with a healthy market.
Sales jumped 6.5 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.4 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Over the past 12 months, sales have surged 17.2 percent. The trend shows that housing remains a driving force for the economy even as mortgage rates have risen from record lows.
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Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
September 4,
2013 by in Designer Weekly, Economic News, Industry
The recovery in the housing market has helped spark an upturn on spending on home goods and materials.
When a house is underwater with more owed on the mortgage than the residence is worth, homeowners usually limit spending to emergency repairs. But with home sales and prices on the upswing, Americans are investing to improve their homes.
That's helped give a nice lift to home furnishing retailers. Privately held retailers of home-related goods and materials are seeing strong sales growth, according to new data from Sageworks, a financial information company.
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Source: Investors Business Daily
August 30,
2013 by in Economic News, Industry
Consumer purchases, which account for about 70 percent of the economy, rose 0.1 percent after a revised 0.6 percent increase the prior month that was larger than previously estimated, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington.
The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 0.3 percent rise. Incomes increased 0.1 percent, down from 0.3 percent the previous month.
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Source: BusinessWeek
August 29,
2013 by in Economic News, Industry
For Wei Yongshi, the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 was a wakeup call.
The disaster killed more than 80,000 people. If all those lives could be taken in an instant, the retired science teacher realized, what are we saving all this money for? Beyond the existential, there's the practical: Holding money can diminish its value, he said.
Here's an interesting analysis of the rising middle class consumer in China, and its outlook on shopping for consumer goods, including home furnishings.
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Source: Global Atlanta
August 28,
2013 by in Economic News, Industry
Stansell Furniture, a retailer of furniture, bedding and home accents in Northwest Georgia and Southeastern Tennessee, is closing its two stores in Trion, Ga., and Lafayette, Ga., after more than 60 years in business. A going-out-of-business sale started last week.
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Source: RN-T.com
August 28,
2013 by in Economic News, Industry
Consumer confidence unexpectedly improved in August as Americans grew more optimistic about employment opportunities and the outlook for the economy.
The Conference Board’s index of sentiment advanced to 81.5 from a revised 81 the prior month that was stronger than initially estimated, the New York-based private research group said today. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists was 79.
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Source: Bloomberg