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
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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
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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
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
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
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
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:
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