It’s nearly 2 years into the pandemic and we’ve all adapted to shortages in nearly all areas of our economic existence.
Look at any grocery store aisle and you’ll see the effects of these shortages staring back at you from the empty shelves.
(Anyone see Rice Krispies yet? I missed those marshmallowy butter blocks at Christmas. It just wasn’t the same!)
Kelloggs
So, what does this have to do with why I’ll be paying more for furniture in 2022?
Well, much like the annoyance of vanishing Rice Krispies, it’s all the same sad situation in the furniture industry as well: High demand and less product to fill that demand.
The surprising thing that I’m going to talk about today is that it’s not just as simple as not enough stuff to go around.
What’s really happening is a handful of “perfect storm” situations that started at the beginning of lockdown that are resulting in longer waits and higher prices now…
Let me back up for a second before going forward. The inspiration for this post came about from hearing the same thing from many people. (That’s how a lot of my posts start).
I was hearing nightmare stories from clients that have waited a very long time for furniture orders. I was hearing similar things from colleagues, and other designers, prices are up, and people aren’t getting their stuff.
Let’s start pealing this onion with people aren’t getting their furniture and I’ll explain how it leads into higher prices.
CBS Sunday Morning explored this in October, and they also found it’s not so much a lack of product.
It’s more about a lack of skilled drivers to get the product where it needs to go; specifically getting imported products off the ocean freight containers they arrived on and transported to the stores.
That brings me to the first reason for why you’ll be paying more for your furniture:
Not Enough Truck Drivers
Lê Minh
It’s all about chapter 1 in high school economics: More demand and low supply makes for higher prices.
That’s overly simplifying, and I’m certainly not an economist, but that’s the gist of it.
This breakdown in logistics has upset the balance and therefore, prices for everything from sofas to accent pillows has a higher price tag because of it.
This conundrum of logistics has disrupted large and small stores alike.
This is glaringly evident with wait times for new furniture. The new “normal” wait time for furniture production has now jumped from around four weeks, pre pandemic, to 28 weeks or more.
But wait. That’s not all…
Reason number two for why you’ll be paying more for your furniture:
Shortage of Shipping Containers
Pixabay
Smaller and independent furniture retailers are starting to see surcharges imposed by freight companies for merchandise that continues to sit in their shipping containers.
Just like the big stores, smaller operations are struggling to recruit and retain drivers to move the furniture, coupled with a lack available shipping containers, resulting in some to impose these holding fees.
Think of the containers as giant storage units where each month a fee is tacked on to hold the merchandise that isn’t being moved.
If transportation is the bottleneck, holding fees and fewer shipping containers is the cork.
If the shippers can’t make room by getting rid of what’s already on their dockets, they can’t return to their original ports to get more stuff.
The cycle is: orders are still coming in, product is frozen and deadlock, and surcharges are ticking up month after month.
That additional holding fee gets added right to the price of your new sofa.
Reason number three for why you’ll be paying more for your furniture:
Increased Lumber Costs
Marissa Daeger
If we dig a little deeper, you’ll also see similar trends happening for products made in the United States.
As you may or may not know, most of the furniture made in the United States is produced on the East Coast, specifically in the Carolinas or Virginia.
Increased demand means production is ramped up, folks in the factories are BUSY and these domestic producers are still facing the same bottleneck nightmare regarding transportation that importers face.
Add to that, a shortage of lumber and the situation goes from bad to worse.
Back when the shut down happened, many lumber companies slowed or stopped production and that was an unfortunate misstep.
They failed to anticipate the effects of people having more time at home and relief money to do all kinds of projects which all relied heavily on building materials: wood, and lots of it.
Many furloughed workers chose not to go back to the lumber yards. So, when the demand began to spike, there wasn’t the workforce to keep up anymore.
Fewer workers mean less output.
Less output of raw materials means less output of finished products.
That means less American Made products in the stores.
Again, high demand, low availability equals higher prices.
To keep production lines producing, the US ramped up importing lumber from Canada, which caused a spike from 9% to nearly 18% import fees. This new policy has not found favor on either side of the border.
That additional layer of import fees? You guessed it, goes to the price tag of your new sofa. Eeeyow!
Is that the end of the story?
I wish it was.
Cue reason number four for why you’ll be paying more for furniture:
Foam Production Was Down
Your Source News
One furniture adjacent industry had a forced shut down almost a year ago which, for a time, halted furniture production causing unprecedented delays.
Last February, 2021, an ice storm damaged nearly all of the foam factories in Texas.
To put this into context, these factories produce nearly all the foam that goes into furniture in the United States.
Because of this damage, everything from dining chair cushions, sofas, chairs, benches, ottomans, and upholstered beds took a massive hit in production.
If it has foam in it, it was affected by this disaster.
The time it’s taken to rebuild the factories has disrupted the furniture industry so greatly that you can expect delays anywhere from 60 days to a year for foam reliant pieces.
Once again, people are still needing new furniture, so demand is up, product is low, so prices go higher.
See the trend here?
As you can see, the culmination of high demand for furniture coupled with logistical challenges ($), product sourcing challenges ($$), and natural disasters ($$$), has made for the perfect storm resulting in higher consumer prices and historically long waits for furniture.
What Can You Do To Improve Your Chances of Getting Furniture FASTER AND CHEAPER?
So, what can you do now instead of joining the legions of frustrated consumers, who’ve been waiting for that unicorn sofa they ordered last year to come in?
Shop Second Hand
Robinson Greig
There’s always deals to be found at thrift stores, Estate Sales, Facebook marketplace, and friends and family.
This is especially great for you if you love vintage pieces.
Buying secondhand is a guarantee that you don’t have to wait for something.
It’s a total see it now, take it with you situation.
It’s also better for the environment.
There’s little to no fuel cost to transport it and you’re saving something from the landfill.
Tip: Sellers are often motivated to move their secondhand inventory, and they’ll be more likely to negotiate a better price to get it out of there.
Recover or Refinish What You Already Have
If your existing furniture is still in good shape, why not have it recovered or refinished?
Recover your old sofa to give it a totally new life.
Universal Upholstering
Refinish your hand-me-down dining table or occasional pieces to better suit your current style.
When you update what you already have, you may discover a whole new appreciation for it!
Tip: Check out apps like Task Rabbit, Thumtack or Angi to scope out skilled folks who can make slip covers or refinish furniture in your town.
You’ll be surprised how many talented people are around near you to give your tired pieces a facelift.
One word of caution here, recovering and refinishing is not a ‘cheap’ route.
It’s more of a convenience route.
It often costs as much or more to refinish or re-upholster something, so you likely won’t be saving money.
But, if what you have is in great shape or has sentimental value, this is a fantastic way to get an updated look.
Buy Clearance or Floor Merchandise
Artem Beliaikin
Don’t want to wait? Keep an eye out for your favorite furniture stores clearance section.
You’d be shocked at how often they change their inventories, update collections, or drop fabrics.
All these occasions usually mean they need to get that inventory out to make room for the new stuff.
Tip: Ask your sales associate to send you email or text updates for when stuff goes on clearance.
I can tell you from experience, you won’t be waiting long.
When I worked in furniture stores, we changed inventories 4 to 6 times a year and things were added to clearance all-the-time!
Also, shop for occasional pieces at stores like HomeGoods, HomeSense, TJ Maxx, Target, IKEA, places where you can bring stuff home the same day.
The selection may not be varied– but it’s there and you don’t have to wait to order it.
To sum up:
Delays are happening because we need more skilled drivers to transport the items to stores.
There’s a shortage of shipping containers and available to move merchandise from port to port, domestic and international.
The lumber industry is still catching up after the shutdown. The government has increased importing lumber and the cost of that is trickling down to your bottom-line furniture costs.
And, we’re still recovering from the foam factories in Texas getting severely damaged in February, 2021.
This all spells delays and competitive demand.
What can you do instead of ordering new?
Shop second hand at thrift stores, estate sales and online marketplaces. Why buy ‘vintage inspired’ when you can buy vintage?
Recover or refinish what you already have. Great bones sometimes just need a freshening up!
Shop the clearance section or floor model area in stores. Stores change displays often and there are deals to be had!
Or,
Shop for ready-made items at department stores where you can buy today and take today.
Now it’s your turn. Have you experienced delays or pricing outside of your comfort zone when shopping for furniture recently? If so, tell me all about it in the comments below. How do you resolve things?
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“Michael Helwig was top-notch, very professional and responsive to my needs. He allowed me time to explore ideas and try out a variety of combinations until we found the perfect fit. Michael provided detailed information and offered beautiful ideas to make my dream living room become a reality. The furniture he sourced has totally transformed my living room space. Everyone that has seen my new living room has one word, WOW! A special thank you to Michael for a wonderful experience.”
“Michael was very knowledgeable and guided us, with great patience and good humor, through the process of designing our dining room and helping us find the perfect sleeper sofa. He offered really helpful advice when we asked questions - which was often - but at no time did we ever feel pushed. He helped me when I felt like I couldn’t make one more decision. When my new furniture finally arrived I realized everything down to the pillows was perfect. I couldn’t be happier!”
Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.
