Stationary sofas
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 22, 2004
Purchased by the largest number of households, the stationary sofa is the workhorse of the upholstery category.
As is true for most home furnishings products, baby boomers account for the majority of buyers. Over one-half of furniture store buyers are boomers and one-fifth are members of Generation X.
Sofa-buying is more egalitarian when it comes to household income: 29% have incomes under $40,000; 36% have incomes between $40,000 and $74,999; and 35% have an income of $75,000 or more. Incomes of furniture store buyers are slightly higher than incomes of overall sofa buyers. Two-fifths have incomes between $40,000 and $74,999; and 38% have incomes of $75,000 or more.
Color choices:
Sticky fingers and dirty paws (of either the two-legged or four-legged variety) apparently influence color choices. Two-fifths of light-colored sofas were purchased by consumers aged 55 or more.
Conversely, consumers ages 44 and under comprise more than half of dark-colored sofa buyers. Nearly three-fifths of dark-colored sofa buyers are parents; 48% own a dog; and, 38% own a cat. Fabric protection is particularly popular with this crowd — 61% of households that purchased a dark-colored sofa also purchased fabric treatment.
Dark-colored and solid-colored sofas have the highest stock turn potential for retail floors. Eighty of every 100 consumers who considered a dark-colored sofa bought one; seventy-two of every 100 consumers who considered a solid color sofa bought one.
First-time buyers make up about one-third of sofa buyers. In general, first-time buyers are younger and have lower incomes. First-time buyers spent more, a median of $899 compared to $800 for repeat buyers. Only 61% of first-time buyers bought their sofa at a furniture store, compared with 71% of repeat buyers.
The most popular companion pieces to a stationary sofa include an end table, purchased by two-fifths of sofa buyers; a cocktail/coffee table, bought by 36% of sofa buyers; and a table lamp, purchased by 30% of sofa buyers.
| Stationary sofa budgets | |
|---|---|
| Medians | |
| By generation | |
| Gen Y | $750 |
| Gen X | $750 |
| Younger baby boomer | $800 |
| Older baby boomer | $899 |
| Empty nester | $800 |
| Senior seniors | $999 |
| By region | |
| Northeast | $900 |
| Midwest | $725 |
| South | $800 |
| West | $850 |
| By income | |
| Under $30,000 | $700 |
| $30,000-$74,999 | $750 |
| $75,000 or more | $902 |
| How long did you shop before buying your sofa? | |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 49% |
| 1 to 3 months | 26% |
| 4 to 6 months | 12% |
| 7 months to 1 year | 6% |
| More than 1 year | 6% |
| Still shopping | 1% |
| What the sofa looks like | |
|---|---|
| Design features | |
| Multiple response | |
| Roll arms | 67% |
| Deep cushions | 51% |
| High back | 44% |
| Loose cushions | 43% |
| Straight back | 31% |
| Skirted base | 24% |
| Curved back | 23% |
| Exposed wood | 20% |
| Low back | 18% |
| Straight arms | 10% |
| Camel back | 6% |
| Wing back | 4% |
| Fabric pattern/color | |
| Solid color | 46% |
| Dark-colored | 34% |
| Light-colored | 23% |
| Floral | 15% |
| Stripe | 6% |
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