Sales In The U.S. Home Furnishings Category Massively Accelerated In 2021

Spending grew 2x faster than the year prior.

Following A Blockbuster 2021, Continued Growth Is Expected For The U.S. Home Furnishings Market

Total U.S. home furnishings spend is expected to reach $477B by 2027.²

82% of U.S. consumers bought home furnishings in the past year

Inclusive of All Categories, The U.S. resale market is expected to reach $289B by 2027

Resale Home Furnishings Will Grow 29% And Reach $22B By 2027

In the next five years, the home furnishings resale segment will be 29% larger than it was at the height of the explosive growth of 2021. In fact, this growth rate will be 3x as fast as traditional retail.

36% of consumers have bought secondhand furniture and homewares in the last year¹

+85% increase in product listings on Chairish so far in 2022³

Within All Resale Categories, Ecommerce Is The Fastest Growing Channel

86%expected growth in online resale from 2021-2027, compared to only 37.6% offline

$22.2Bestimated spend by consumers on resale home furnishings in the next five years, with digital channels accounting for 28.2% of spend—up from 22.5% in 2021

So Long, Stigma: 97% of Shoppers Say There Is None

The resale market shows no signs of slowing down, with even more growth expected this year. Past concerns about buying secondhand have mostly evaporated, with 97% of shoppers saying there is no stigma associated with buying resale furniture.¹ No longer a niche hobby, shopping vintage has become mainstream.

2/3 of those surveyed bought or considered resale furnishings when making their purchase

Resale Home Furnishings Are Now Mainstream

Americans have become increasingly comfortable buying resale furniture, ranking it second only to books & media in terms of their comfort purchasing secondhand.

As Income Increases, So Does A Shopper's Affinity For Resale

Those seeking luxury goods likely turn to resale because they are looking for items that are truly unique and cannot be replicated elsewhere.

87% of buyers plan to spend more or the same on resale home furnishings this year

84% of sellers plan to sell more or the same amount of resale home furnishings this year

What’s Driving Resale Home Furnishings’ Explosive Growth?

COVID-19 severely disrupted global supply chains, so shoppers have turned to resale over new items for four key reasons:

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Percent Difference in Consumer Furnishings Prices

Resale Attracts More Shoppers as Inflation and Financial Woes Mount

Have you noticed prices increasing for home furnishings and furniture?

How concerned are you about inflation and rising prices?

Nearly 25% of consumers cited rising prices as a reason for buying more secondhand home products. 67% agree that buying secondhand is a good way to save money.¹

The Vintage Value Proposition: A Case Study

In an economically uncertain environment, resale is a financially responsible choice. For instance, purchasing a set of vintage dining chairs rather than new ones is more cost effective, environmentally friendly, and—of course—stylish.

How Vintage Supports the Circular Economy

The circular economy is powered by the four R's—the reusing, refurbishing, repairing, and reselling of products—which keep items out of landfills and extend the lives of existing pieces. The resale model reduces the need to create new products—with all their negative environmental impacts, from production waste to transportation.

A “circular economy” minimizes waste by reusing and reselling goods

Today, only 8.6% of the global economy is circular, and more than 90% of the resources used and consumed are not reused.⁵

The circular economy can reduce global carbon gas emissions from elements like steel, plastic, and aluminum production by 40%, or 3.7 billion tons, by 2050. The circular economy offers an opportunity to tackle hard-to-abate emissions and accelerate the transition towards a net-zero carbon economy.⁷

If more consumers adopted the circular economy, primary material consumption could be cut by 32% by 2030⁸

Chairish is a proud part of the sustainable circular economy. As consumer interest in the environmental benefits of resale continues to grow, and science and data continue to underscore vintage's environmental benefits, we will keep doing our part to keep beloved items in circulation.

Every Age Group Values Sustainability

Sustainability isn’t just a passion for younger shoppers—members of every generation cite it as a key factor in resale shopping.

54% of consumers agree that shopping secondhand is good for the environment.¹

Resale Is Ready to Ship Now

Availability is a built-in benefit of pre-owned furniture, since vintage items by definition already exist and are ready to ship. Pre-owned items aren’t vulnerable to production delays and can be delivered via a point-to-point distribution model, reducing shipping times and transportation expenses and minimizing the environmental impact of delivery.

The option to purchase and pick up vintage products locally is also an important driver for consumers; not only does this offer convenience and fast fulfillment, but it also means purchases have a lower carbon footprint.¹

Traditional Distribution

Chairish Resale Marketplace Distribution

Point–to–Point Model

In 2022, Chairish expects to offset 100% of estimated carbon emissions from our product shipping worldwide.

Fast Furniture Spells Disaster for the Planet

45% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from product manufacturing⁶

12M tons of furnishings are thrown out each year in the United States, up from 2 million tons in 1960¹⁰

90% of furniture is made overseas, where fewer regulations exist for pollution, labor, and land management⁹

80% of discarded home furnishings end up in a landfill, while only 0.3% can be recycled¹⁰

25% of U.S. energy consumption is from manufacturing, at a cost of $150 billion. Reusing items significantly reduces their environmental impact.⁷

In 2021, Chairish offset 341 metric tons of carbon emissions. That's like recycling nearly 15,000 bags of waste or planting 5,672 trees.¹¹