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Desks and other home office

By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 23, 2003

Desks, which have been at the top of the furniture buying charts for the past several years, have slipped a bit. But a healthy 3.7% of households still have desks on their shopping lists, and other home office furniture — anything from chairs to filing cabinets — is on the list of 3.2% of households. About 1% of households plan to buy both a desk and other home office furniture this year. Planned spending on the two categories hovers at the $4 billion mark.

Not surprisingly, households with a home business are prime shoppers for both desks and other home office furniture, making up 18% of the households planning to make a purchase this year. If they buy as planned, they will account for 13% of the dollars spent on the two categories. Their budgets, however, are about the same as other households for desks, slightly higher for other home office furniture.

Asian-Americans and African-Americans are planning to buy both desks and other home office at rates that exceed their presence in the population. With desks, however, both Asians and African-Americans have budgeted smaller amounts than the national median of $200 — a median of $150 and $120, respectively. Asians plan to spend a median of $300 on other home office, well above the national median of $180, while African-Americans have budgeted $150 for other home office purchases.

Other demographic groups with high plan-to-buy indices include young singles, young couples, young parents, middle parents and those who have never been married.

Percent of households that...
Shopped for a desk in 2002	7.6%
Shopped for other home office furniture in 2002	6.2%
Bought a desk in 2002	4.7%
Bought other home office furniture in 2002	3.9%
Plan to buy a desk in 2003	3.7%
Plan to buy other home office furniture in 2003	3.2%

Age	% of the 3.7% of households that in 2003 plan to buy a desk	% of the 3.2% of households that in 2003 plan to buy other home office
Under 25	6%	4%
25–34	23%	18%
35–44	28%	27%
45–54	23%	27%
55–64	12%	15%
65 and over	8%	9%

Lifestage	% of the 3.7% of households that in 2003 plan to buy a desk	% of the 3.2% of households that in 2003 plan to buy other home office
Young singles	5%	5%
Middle singles	12%	15%
Older singles	2%	3%
Young couples	11%	11%
Working older couples	10%	13%
Retired older couples	5%	7%
Young parents	20%	15%
Middle parents	14%	11%
Older parents	18%	18%
Roommates	3%	2%

Income	% of the 3.7% of households that in 2003 plan to buy a desk	% of the 3.2% of households that in 2003 plan to buy other home office
Under $20,000	18%	14%
$20,000–$29,999	10%	10%
$30,000–$39,999	10%	11%
$40,000–$49,999	9%	10%
$50,000–$59,999	10%	8%
$60,000–$74,999	12%	13%
$75,000–$84,999	6%	6%
$85,000–$99,999	10%	10%
$100,000–$124,999	7%	8%
$125,000–or more	8%	10%

Opportunity knocks

Percent of households in 2003 in each region that plan to buy
	a desk	other home office
West	4.0%	3.8%
Midwest	3.5%	3.1%
South	3.8%	3.0%
Northeast	3.4%	3.2%

Higher income households are planning to buy desks at a higher rate than their proportion of the population. Those with incomes of $85,000 or more account for one-fourth of those planning to buy a desk and other home office furniture this year.
14% of desk shoppers in 2003 and 13% of other home office furniture shoppers are apartment dwellers.
Nearly one-fourth of desk shoppers this year are also planning to buy other home office furniture.
Home business owners account for 18% of households planning to buy a desk and other home office furniture this year.

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