Furniture Sales Surge 5.1% While New Glass Duties Could Hit 300% - What You Need to Know

Originally published August 15, 2025. This version was rebuilt from Census, the Commerce Department's Federal Register notices, Dillard's and the Conference Board for the FIN archive, and the facts are as of that date.

Mid-August 2025 brought one of the better sales reports furniture stores had seen in a while. It also brought a reminder that duties can hit components, like glass, that buyers may not think of as furniture.

The short version

• Census showed July furniture store sales up 5.1% from a year earlier.
• Commerce set a preliminary China-wide dumping margin of 311.81% on float glass.
• Dillard's said home and furniture was its weakest category.
• The Conference Board's CEO confidence measure rose to 49.

Furniture sales climb

The Census Bureau's advance estimate put July sales at furniture and home furnishings stores up 1.4% from June and 5.1% from a year earlier. After a long slump that ran into 2024, furniture stores had been growing steadily from a year earlier.

Glass duties

In July the Commerce Department issued preliminary antidumping determinations on float glass, setting a China-wide margin of 311.81%. For Malaysia, one producer drew a margin of 850.42% based on adverse facts, while other Malaysian producers drew far lower rates.

Float glass is the flat glass used in tabletops, mirrors and shelves. Buyers who import glass components separately from the furniture they go into should check with their customs broker how those parts are classified.

Department stores and home

Dillard's reported second-quarter retail sales up 1% to $1.447 billion, and named home and furniture as its weakest performing category.

CEOs less gloomy

The Conference Board's Measure of CEO Confidence rose 15 points to 49 in the third quarter. Only 36% of CEOs expected a recession in the next 12 to 18 months, down from 83% the quarter before. Readings under 50 still meant more CEOs were negative than positive.

Good sales, watch the parts

Furniture sales were growing and business leaders were less worried about a recession. The risk to watch was cost creep from duties on components and materials.

Related on FIN

• Furniture Sales Rose. Costs Are Rising Faster.
• Follow the Tariff Dollars

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, Advance monthly retail sales, July 2025
• Federal Register, Float glass products from China, preliminary antidumping determination
• Federal Register, Float glass products from Malaysia, preliminary antidumping determination
• Dillard's, Inc., Second quarter 2025 results (SEC filing)
• The Conference Board, CEO confidence, Q3 2025