Number of containers imported by those importing directly

Profile of responding retailers

More than 200 retailers completed a detailed questionnaire for Furniture|Today's 2007 Furniture Store Performance Report based on their store operations for the fiscal year ending closest to December 31, 2006.

Representing more than 2,200 stores, the majority (71%) of companies responding are full-line furniture retailers. Another 15% are specialty retailers by either product or style while five percent operate as a manufacturer-branded store; the remainder are mostly clearance centers. Most stores are independently or family-owned; only three percent are publicly-owned companies.

All regions of the country are well-represented.

One-unit operations make up three-fifths of the responding companies. Respondents with two to five units represent more than one-quarter of the total; the remaining one-tenth has more than five units.

By sales volume, the responding retailers can be categorized as:

• Small-sized stores, with annual sales of less than $2 million, 46%,

• Medium-sized stores, with annual sales of $2 million up to $20 million, 38% and

• Large stores, with annual sales of over $20 million, 16% of respondents.