Navigating Uncertainty. Insights into Shaky Retail Trends in Furniture

Originally published March 21, 2025. This version was rebuilt from the Census Bureau's advance retail sales report, NAR's existing-home sales report and a CPSC recall for the FIN archive, and the facts are as of that date.

The late-March 2025 data looked steady on the surface. Underneath, furniture sales had stalled, the housing market was only slowly thawing, and another dresser recall showed the cost of ignoring safety rules.

The short version

• Census said furniture store sales were unchanged in February from January.
• NAR said existing-home sales rose 4.2% to 4.26 million at an annual rate.
• CPSC announced a recall of about 28,590 GIKPAL dressers sold on Walmart.com.

Flat on the surface

The Census Bureau's advance report showed furniture and home furnishings store sales flat in February and up 5.5% from a year earlier. Total retail and food services sales rose only 0.2% for the month after a 0.9% drop in January.

Two soft months in a row meant the year started without the momentum retailers had hoped for. Promotions and financing offers were doing more of the work.

Housing thaws slowly

NAR said existing-home sales rose 4.2% in February to 4.26 million, but were 1.2% lower than a year earlier. The median price rose 3.8% to $398,400, and inventory climbed 5.1% to 1.24 million homes.

First-time buyers made up 31% of sales in February, up from 28% in January. More inventory and more first-time buyers are good signs for furniture, but high prices still limited how many households were moving.

Another dresser recall

On March 20 CPSC announced a recall of about 28,590 GIKPAL 10-drawer dressers sold exclusively on Walmart.com by ONME Direct. CPSC said the dressers are unstable if not anchored and violate the STURDY Act.

Online marketplaces kept producing recalls of low-cost dressers in 2025. Retailers selling clothing storage units needed test reports showing compliance with the STURDY Act standard.

Steady but shaky

Flat furniture sales, a slow housing thaw and ongoing safety recalls made for a cautious spring. Retailers had to compete on value without cutting corners on compliance.

Related on FIN

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

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, Advance monthly retail sales, February 2025
• National Association of Realtors, Existing-home sales, February 2025
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, GIKPAL dresser recall (Mar. 20, 2025)