2026
9
UK Furniture Retailing Market Report 2026
2026-07-28T16:02:24+00:00
REP80AF2E1E_8BB9_4D7A_AF2E_1E8BB9CD7A1E
2195
195090
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Report
en_GB
While overall furniture purchasing has fallen in 2026 compared to 2025, premium purchases of £1,000 or more remain resilient and have even seen a slight uptick, particularly among households with…
UK
Home Retailing
simple

UK Furniture Retailing Market Report 2026

"As consumers increasingly prioritise long-term value, retailers must craft a compelling value proposition, through not just appealing products and services, but also a seamless omnichannel experience."

Sam Nguyen, Senior Retail Analyst

Sam Nguyen, Senior Retail Analyst

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for furniture retailing
    • Opportunities
    • Selective trade up presents opportunities for both ends of the market
    • Dial up the emotional side of furniture buying with in-store experiences…
    • …and emotion-led packages
    • Leverage emerging online channels to enhance purchase journey
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Improved UK housing market provides a much-needed boost to demand for home items, but uncertainty lies ahead
    • Graph 1: number of property transactions with a value over £40,000 completed in the UK, 2019-26
    • Persistent cautious mentality means value needs to be compelling
    • Circular economy regulations reshape the furniture sector
    • Incremental growth is expected in the coming years
    • Market size and forecast of furniture
    • Graph 2: market size and forecast (including VAT), 2021-31
    • Living and dining furniture captures almost half of furniture spending
    • Graph 3: furniture market segmentation, 2024-25
    • Specialists continue dominance
    • Graph 4: estimated channels of distribution for furniture, 2025
    • Online share further cements…
    • …as specialists reduce physical presence
    • Graph 5: number of specialised stores selling furniture, lighting equipment and other household articles, 2021-25
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Adapt to shifting furniture purchasing priorities
    • Engagement shifts more selective
    • Buy fewer, but better
    • Graph 6: rooms purchased for, 2025 and 2026
    • Target resilient categories to unlock growth in the coming year
    • Graph 7: rooms intended to buy furniture for in the next 12 months, 2025 and 2026
    • Tackle trading down behaviour among new movers
    • Graph 8: rooms bought furniture for, by time in current home, 2026
    • Capture value-led demand by expanding into retailer-backed second-hand ranges
    • Speak to consumers’ priorities
    • Practicality is the main driver for furniture purchases
    • Distress-led replacements push consumers to trade down on value
    • Graph 9: triggers to purchase, by spending on furniture, 2026
    • Affordability is the top priority for most rooms, but not all
    • Graph 10: important attributes when buying new furniture for each room, 2026
    • Path to purchase
    • In-store shopping declines as online grows in activity
    • Use stores to build confidence and drive online conversion
    • Online channels benefit from more routes to market
    • Strengthen confidence in social commerce
    • Store-based specialists are trusted locations, but need to up their game
    • Graph 11: types of store-based retailers used for furniture purchases in the last 12 months, by repertoire of store-based retailers used, 2026
    • Online pureplays need to balance value with trust
    • Graph 12: online retailers used for furniture purchases in the last 12 months, by age, 2026
    • AI evolving from inspiration to purchasing
    • Leverage AI to improve discovery
    • A long way to go for AI from aiding purchases to direct buying
    • Graph 13: “open to buying furniture directly from AI agents (eg ChatGPT Agent, Gemini Agent)”, by age, 2026
  4. RETAILER ACTIVITY

    • Leading retailers
    • Value remains a key focus for specialists
    • Premium-led retailers outperform
    • Expanding beyond traditional store estates
    • Growing competition from non-specialist retailers
    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Infuse excitement into the in-store shopping experience
    • Strengthen value propositioning…
    • …including through membership schemes
    • Leverage the influence of Pinterest
    • Bring recognisable brand names on board
    • AI enhances furniture purchasing
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast of furniture: underlying data
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Leading retailers
    • Leading specialists: revenues
    • Leading specialists: operating profits
    • Leading specialists: operating margin
    • Leading specialists: store number
    • Supplementary data
    • Google Trends: Increasing search interest in office furniture in 2025 and into 2026
    • Graph 14: Google Trends search activity, 2019-26
    • Infegy Starscape: IKEA Oxford Street opening lands well with the public
    • Other data source methodologies
    • Infegy Starscape coverage
    • Mintel Spark
    • Snoop SpendMapper methodology
    • Google Trends
    • Abbreviations

While overall furniture purchasing has fallen in 2026 compared to 2025, premium purchases of £1,000 or more remain resilient and have even seen a slight uptick, particularly among households with stable or healthy finances, indicating the trend of premiumisation and the growing polarisation of the market.

Furniture demand remains largely replacement-driven, meaning that persistent cost-of-living pressures are pushing consumers to delay big-ticket purchases. At the value end of the market, the rise of second-hand furniture is adding further competitive pressure, drawing volume away from traditional retail channels.

An improved housing market has provided a much-needed boost for the furniture sector, while some furniture bought during the height of the pandemic, particularly those initially intended for temporary use, will soon be due for replacement, creating a natural wave of demand. The continued evolution of omnichannel retail also offers exciting routes for brands to build emotional connections with consumers and create a more seamless path to purchase.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • How furniture purchasing priorities are shifting and the increased polarisation of the furniture market
  • How purchase priorities vary by the room consumers buy furniture for
  • Second-hand furniture and opportunities for retailer-backed second-hand ranges
  • Opportunities to drive aspiration and emotion in a highly practicality-driven purchase
  • The continued importance of physical stores in furniture purchasing, and how retailers are redefining in-store experiences
  • The growing momentum of online shopping, and how this channel has become increasingly fragmented with new routes to market
  • The role of AI in furniture purchasing, including for inspiration and direct buying

Market Definitions

This Report covers the retailing of the following types of furniture:

  • living and dining room furniture
  • bedroom furniture, including beds and mattresses
  • home office furniture
  • kitchen furniture
  • bathroom furniture
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