Spending Is Up. So Why Is Furniture Still Down?

Originally published June 18, 2026. This version was rebuilt from Census, La-Z-Boy and Bed Bath & Beyond releases for the FIN archive, and the facts are as of that date.

By June, overall spending was growing at a healthy clip and furniture still was not keeping up. The gap was narrowing, though, and some companies were finding growth in their own stores.

The short version

• Furniture store sales rose in May but were still below a year earlier.
• La-Z-Boy's sales were flat, with its own stores offsetting weakness elsewhere.
• Bed Bath & Beyond agreed to buy a real estate services company to link home buying with furnishing.

Furniture closes the gap

The Census Bureau's advance report showed furniture and home furnishings store sales up 1.0% from April and down 1.2% from a year earlier in May. Total retail was growing much faster.

The yearly decline was shrinking. Shoppers were spending, but they were still putting home purchases behind other things.

La-Z-Boy's stores carry the quarter

La-Z-Boy reported fourth-quarter sales of $570 million, flat from a year earlier. Retail written sales rose 11% and offset lower volume at Joybird, and the company ended the year with no external debt.

Bed Bath & Beyond moves into home buying

Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. agreed to acquire Fathom, aiming to connect home buying and financing with furnishing and home services in one company.

The idea was to reach new homeowners before they shop for furniture. Independent stores had long tried to do that through local realtor relationships.

Update. The two companies ended the deal in October 2026.

Why furniture lagged

Furniture was still waiting on housing. Companies with their own stores and a clear value story were doing best while it waited.

Related on FIN

• Move-In Furniture Tickets Are Drying Up
• Furniture Store Sales Fell 2.7%. Every Other Category Grew.

Sources

• US Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Report, May 2026
• La-Z-Boy, Fourth quarter fiscal 2026 results
• Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., Agreement to acquire Fathom
• Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., Mutual termination of proposed Fathom merger (October 2026)