Top 25 sales climb 5.2%
Consumer spending up 3.9%
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 5, 2006
High Point — Led by Ashley's big gain, the Top 25's sales increase of 5.2% in 2005 topped three other measures of the industry's performance.
The broadest measure of business, U.S. consumer spending on furniture and bedding, rose by 3.9% from the 2004 level to $78.5 billion.
Total furniture shipments — including U.S.-made goods and imports, but excluding bedding — climbed by 4.5% last year to $37.6 billion.
Imports led the way with a gain of 10.8%, to $21.9 billion. U.S. furniture factory shipments, which include some imported goods and components, rose by 3% to $27 billion, according to accounting and consulting firm BDO Seidman.
While the Top 25 fared better as a group than the broad measures, numbers 2 through 25 did worse. Excluding Ashley's gain, the aggregate increase for the other 24 companies last year was 1.4%.
