Telescope survey indicates rebound in home furnishings sales

Outdoor furniture beneficiary of renewed appreciation for home

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 1/11/2011 2:49:40 PM

GRANVILLE, N.Y. — Telescope Casual Furniture has found through its National Shopper Survey that as shoppers come out of the recession, one of the biggest category comebacks is home furnishings, for both inside and out.

During the recession, home furnishings for both inside and out were at the top of the postponement list, but there is now a resurgence in taking care of the home, according to the survey. Shoppers who postponed spending on their homes during the recession are once again buying new home furnishings (23%), spending on home services (20%) and buying new outdoor furniture (18%).

In announcing the latest results of the Telescope National Shopper Survey, Kathy Juckett, CEO of Telescope Casual Furniture, said, "One of the values resulting from the recession is a new appreciation for home and family. Families are spending more time together at home out of necessity to save money by not going out or eating out. And while the family was home together to save money, they found that they liked their time together and created family-centric game nights and regular family meal times.

"Home is the American family's haven and one of the first categories that shoppers are anxious to spend on. This is both inside the home and in their backyards. This creates a huge opportunity for retailers. Beginning with holiday 2010, savvy retailers targeted shoppers' new values and emotions with their marketing messages and product promotions," Juckett said.

The Telescope National Shopper Survey is a national internet survey of 1500 adults conducted quarterly by WSL Strategic Retail, a leading firm in retail strategy.