Tariffs, Soft Demand, and the New Reality for Furniture

Originally published February 10, 2026. This version was rebuilt from Census, NRF and University of Michigan releases for the FIN archive, and the facts are as of that date.

By February the holiday numbers were in, and they confirmed what many store floors had felt. Furniture had a weak December, imports were set to keep falling, and shoppers felt only slightly better.

The short version

• Furniture store sales fell from November and were well below a year earlier in December.
• Imports were forecast to stay below last year's level through the first half of 2026.
• Consumer sentiment rose a little, mostly among households with large stock holdings.

A weak December for furniture

The Census Bureau's advance report showed furniture and home furnishings store sales down 0.9% from November and 5.6% from a year earlier in December.

That was a sharp drop in the biggest shopping month of the year. Stores would carry the extra caution into spring planning, with tighter orders and more promotions.

Imports keep falling

NRF's Global Port Tracker said major US ports handled 1.99 million TEU in December, down 6.6% from a year earlier, and forecast 12.27 million TEU for the first half of 2026, below the same period of 2025.

The report's authors pointed to tariffs and uncertainty over a pending Supreme Court case on tariffs as reasons importers were holding back.

Sentiment edges up

The University of Michigan's preliminary index rose to 57.3 in February from 56.4, a six-month high. The survey's director said the gain came mostly from consumers with the largest stock holdings.

That split mattered for furniture. Higher-end stores could see some lift, while stores serving middle and lower income shoppers were still facing a cautious customer.

The new reality

Early 2026 looked like a market where furniture had to earn every sale. Demand was soft, supply was lighter and only some shoppers felt confident.

Related on FIN

• Furniture Store Sales Fell 2.7%. Every Other Category Grew.
• Follow the Tariff Dollars

Sources

• US Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Report, December 2025
• National Retail Federation, Global Port Tracker, February 2026
• University of Michigan, Surveys of Consumers, preliminary February 2026