Good news for brick-and-mortar casual retailers: Nearly half of high-earning consumers said they feel excited about shopping at brick-and-mortar stores for furniture, and another 37% reported feeling confident about buying furniture in-store. That’s according to Consumer Insights Now’s survey of high-income households, sponsored by Bread Financial.
Twenty-one percent of high-earning consumers said they plan to shop at a store for outdoor furniture, while 39% will look for rugs and 28% will seek lighting.
Of the consumers surveyed, 42% said they plan to shop a local store for furniture, while seven in 10 said they will buy from a national chain such as Ashley or Rooms To Go. Financing may be a driver toward those chains, even for high-income households, as half of survey respondents said they were interested in financing options such as 0% interest on a 36-month line of credit up to $50,000. The majority would purchase higher-end furniture when financing is available and would increase their budgets by three times with a financing option.
While nearly two-thirds of high-income consumers said that furniture stores offer quality brands, 85% believe those furnishings are expensive. One respondent said furniture stores could improve by “offering a better selection at lower prices,” while another noted, “Bigger discounts would be a draw.”
Customization is a draw for some shoppers, with 39% saying they prefer to buy custom furniture, but the majority — 61% — said they prefer to buy in-stock furniture. Households with incomes of $250,000 or higher and older millennials (ages 38-45 in 2026) skew higher on preferring customization.
Color and fabric led for most popular customization options at 63% each, while 61% of consumers want size choices and 42% are interested in custom cushions. High-income consumers also are interested in add-on accessories such as lighting, wireless charging and storage in furniture (32%), pillow options (30%) and additional configurations (28%).
One of the biggest draws for high-income consumers to furniture stores is service. Delivery leads that with 81% expecting to have purchases brought to their home, and 66% want retailers to set up the furniture in their space. Design services are important to 39% of survey respondents, particularly among those earning between $150,000 and $249,000 per year, as well as older millennials and Generation X (ages 45-61 in 2026).
While these shoppers expect a high level of service from an in-store experience, only 42% said furniture salespeople are easy to work with. Respondents said stores could improve with “less pushy salespeople” and by “creating a lower-pressure sales environment and let me browse without hounding me.” Another respondent said they think “some salespeople are very ‘used car’ in their approach — I don’t like feeling pressured while I’m shopping,” while another said they preferred stores that “let me shop at my own pace and be available to help and answer questions if needed.”
Creating a positive, comfortable shopping experience, offering financing options and service after the sale are three major strategies casual furnishings retailers can employ to capture this high-income shopper’s business.
Consumer Insights Now surveyed 825 United States consumers in February. Respondents all have household incomes of $150,000 or more, and all purchased or plan to purchase new furnishings in 2026. All respondents are either the primary or joint furniture purchase decision-maker. The survey was sponsored by Bread Financial.
