The furniture industry continues to stand by and watch as one business after another closes its doors. This doesn’t have to be the case.
From the outside, the industry seems stable. Even former President Trump stated that new jobs and businesses would be pumped into North Carolina’s furniture sector. But the reality? The industry lacks the foundation for real growth.
An Industry Stuck in the Past
The truth is, the furniture industry is aging out—and it has failed to pass the baton to the next generation of leaders.
Instead of evolving, many businesses are drowning in COVID-era debt with no significant increase in business to keep them alive. These are old business models built on outdated strategies, in an industry that resists change.
Just look at Bauhaus Furniture—another brand shutting its doors (read more here). And they won’t be the last.
But why is this happening? The furniture industry has been operating on the same playbook for decades. It has relied on trade shows, traditional showrooms, and slow-moving wholesale models. Meanwhile, consumer behavior has shifted dramatically. Customers are shopping online, expecting direct-to-consumer experiences, faster delivery, and more transparency.
Many furniture businesses are struggling because they never adapted. And now, they're being left behind.
How Do We Fix It?
It’s simple: we need to look outside the industry for proven methods that drive growth and innovation.
Some of the most successful brands in other industries have figured this out. They’ve built customer-centric marketing strategies that create demand instead of waiting for demand to come to them.
For example:
✅ Tesla sells cars, but its real money comes from energy credits and software subscriptions.
✅ McDonald’s sells burgers, but it thrives because it owns the real estate its franchisees operate from.
✅ Costco sells groceries, but its most profitable revenue stream is its membership program.
✅ Starbucks sells coffee, but it makes billions by holding billions in unused customer gift card balances.
The lesson? Companies that survive in shifting markets don’t just sell a product—they own the customer relationship and diversify revenue streams.
The furniture industry has failed to do this.
Why the Furniture Industry Needs to Wake Up
Think about this:
Customers expect an easier buying process—but the furniture industry still relies on lengthy lead times, outdated sales channels, and rigid wholesale pricing models.
Consumers crave unique, customizable experiences—but most furniture brands push mass-produced designs with little personalization.
Modern marketing is about engagement—yet furniture brands still focus on one-way advertising instead of community-building and content-driven strategies.
If the industry continues to operate this way, we will see more and more closures.
What’s Next?
If you own or sit on the board of a furniture or decor company—and you want to avoid becoming the next business to close its doors—now is the time to act.
You have two choices:
1️⃣ Keep doing what you’ve always done and hope things get better.
2️⃣ Break the cycle, innovate, and build a furniture brand that thrives in a modern economy.
If you want to build a legacy of growth and innovation, let’s set up a call.
🚀 This isn’t hard, but it does require an entirely different business mindset.
Let’s talk. Your future depends on it.
