TRENDS IMPACTING FURNITURE ECOMMERCE IN 2021
The picture of home furnishings retail looks different at the start of 2021 than it did at the start of 2020. Global pandemic, COVID-19, created a seismic shift in the industry, to say nothing of the impact on the world of retail at-large. Retailers and manufacturers changed the way business operates in home furnishings last year. And that creates a unique stage for 2021 growth in furniture eCommerce trends.To get more news about
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During 2020, eCommerce was important to keep writing new business. A great many shifts continued to make home furnishings in high demand online and in store. Many retail leaders transitioned overnight to an online powerhouse for sales—with many posting record months of traffic and sales.
But 2021 comes with its own unique set of challenges for the home furnishings retail industry. How will the new changes impact the critical eCommerce strategy for retailers? Will another omnichannel shift take place this year? We’re going to explore the top trends impacting furniture digital commerce for 2021.
Why are home furnishings still in such high demand? Before there were successful furniture ecommerce trends, the retail industry seized in parts of the early pandemic. Uncertainty halted most purchases outside of the essential goods. Closing retail stores created a barrier to other goods. But as retailers adapted to the shift and consumers stayed at home, the industry changed.Stay at home orders created the necessity to make “home” serve many new functions. Home emerged as the place where we work, live, entertain, educate, and unwind. And for many, that meant a transition to how we lived at home.
Online search for home office furniture grew exponentially overnight as more companies re-emerged as a remote workforce. According to BusinessWire, the global home office furniture market is expected to grow at a AGR of 7.5% during 2020-2026. In the 2020 report, Working From Home is attributed as one of the several key drivers to growth. Our research shows that research for home office furniture peaked in July—5 months into the pandemic. And while the trends fluctuate, subcategories and related searches are still higher than previous year averages.
Many companies report that in a post-pandemic world, they will adopt hybrid remote policies to capitalize on the profitability and flexibility offered in a remote workforce. So while many companies can return to offices during this year, the focus on home furnishings continues to stay prevalent. For many, home office furniture comes to a new home purchased during the pandemic—taking advantage of record-setting interest rates. As new employees enter the remote workforce, home office furniture will be pertinent.
It wasn’t just “work” happening at home in 2020. Entertainment at home also increased. The majority of U.S. shoppers were under varying degrees of Stay at Home orders. Many states closed social entertainment like movie theaters, bowling alleys, bars, and amusement parks. This shift created the need for at-home entertainment for the family.
And many families had the budget available from saved funds for canceled vacations. Others used government stimulus to invest in home entertainment. But it wasn’t just new electronics. The home furnishings industry—especially the outdoor segment, got a major boost. Entertainment with others needed social distancing included. Which meant more time outdoors. With all the time spent inside working and entertaining the family, focus on outdoor grew tremendously.
A look at the search for outdoor furniture since 2019 shows that outdoor furniture searches more than doubled its previous years of peak season searching. Casual retailers and manufacturers posted significant new growth during the peak of the U.S. pandemic March 2020 – November 2020. Although shifts continue to emerge with vaccination, the focus on outdoor furniture is still growing over previous years.
