New and exclusive research from our Consumer Insights Now survey polled nearly 2,000 people to find out their buying habits for the second half of 2023.
While outdoor has moved down on people’s list compared to indoor sofas and accessories, there are some notable things to highlight from the outdoor section of the research.
- 15% of furniture shoppers plan to buy outdoor furniture between July 2023 and December 2023. That number may seem small, but coming off the pandemic it makes sense. With record sales during the years following the outbreak of Covid, some are looking to other rooms after already furnishing their outdoor spaces. National furniture chains are the next most-shopped for outdoor, making up 20% of the market share, followed by Amazon at 11% and local furniture stores not far behind at 10%.
- Big-box stores take 39% of the market share across all generations. From Gen Z (32%) to baby boomers (45%), big-box stores account for most outdoor sales, with national chains not far behind at 28% for Gen Z and 24% for older millennials, at the high end. While 32% said they plan to purchase online, 68% plan to go into a store.
- There’s a huge disconnect when it comes to planned spending. The survey shows that most people (25%) plan to spend between $100 and $299 on outdoor furniture. What’s more, nearly 80% of people surveyed plan to pay less than $1,000. Many consumers still think that outdoor furniture is the same as indoor and should be priced accordingly. There is still a need for education on the durability of outdoor furniture and why price reflects that.
- October is the slowest month for outdoor sales. In the second half of 2023, July was the biggest month consumers planned to buy in, at 31%, followed by August and September. October, at 9%, is when the least amount of consumers plan to shop for outdoor furnishings. Eleven percent said they plan to buy in both November and December.
These findings paint a picture of the state of the outdoor industry right now, where big-box stores and national chains are making big moves when it comes to the casual category.
Consumers are still out of the loop when it comes to the pricing of quality furniture, but there’s still time before the end of the year to adjust and make the most of the next two months.
If you’re in High Point this week, stop by The Point on Friday morning at 10 a.m. to hear my fellow editors Tom Russell and Courtney Porter and myself speak about other trends we found in this survey.
