Average price online up 8%

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, October 29, 2012

According to Grey Suit Retail's portfolio of online retailers in the third quarter of 2012, the average purchase price per transaction was up 8% from the previous quarter. Consumers spent an average of $709 per online transaction in the third quarter, compared with $655 in the second quarter.
     In August of this year, consumers spent an average of $677 per furniture transaction; that's an increase of almost 40% since August of last year, when buyers spent an average of $485.
     The average purchase price in September was $717, almost a 1% increase from the same time a year ago; and nearly a 6% increase from the previous month.
     Fabric and leather upholstery, including stationary sofas, motion sofas, recliners, sectionals, loveseats, chairs and ottomans, accounted for 40% of online sales; while occasional tables accounted for the next biggest chunk of the pie at 16% of furniture site sales in the last quarter.

Online sales by category
% of furniture site sales, third quarter 2012
*Includes stationary sofas, motion sofas, recliners, sectionals, loveseats, chairs and ottomans
Average purchase price online, per transaction
	2011	2012	% change
April	$675	$701	3.9%
May	$620	$625	0.8%
June	$583	$638	9.4%
July	$620	$734	18.4%
August	$485	$677	39.6%
September	$711	$717	0.8%
Source: Grey Suit Retail