Casual Furniture Remains Steady, Growing Market

Furniture World Magazine

A multitude of factors have combined to create a steadily growing market for outdoor and casual furniture despite the nation's recent economic woes. According to The U.S. Outdoor and Casual Furniture Market, a newly published Packaged Facts report available at MarketResearch.com, the compound annual growth rate for the outdoor and casual furniture market is estimated at over 8% for the period from 1997-2001. Contributing to this steady growth are increased housing start levels, nesting trends emerging in U.S. society, advancements made in the products themselves, and increased attention among retailers to the product category. Housing start levels are an especially strong predictor of outdoor and casual furniture market performance as new homebuyers are more likely to set up an outdoor living area. With housing start levels strong since 1998, sales of casual furniture can be expected to mirror this growth. Not only are people continuing to buy homes, but they are also spending more time in their homes. With "nesting" and personal security high on many Americans' agendas, investments in improving the home have taken on a new importance. "People have found a renewed sense of comfort in the home," said Meg Hargreaves, VP of Research Publishing for MarketResearch.com. "It follows that as Americans make improvements to this newly important home environment, products in the outdoor and casual furniture market will benefit." The U.S. Outdoor and Casual Furniture Market provides detailed information about consumer demographics, as well as distribution and marketing trends, product development, and emerging promotional campaigns. The report also includes historical sales data, as well as market projections through the year 2005. About Packaged Facts: Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, produces research reports on a wide range of consumer industries, including information on domestic and global market trends and opportunities. About MarketResearch.com: MarketResearch.com is the leading provider of global marketing intelligence products and services. With over 50,000 research publications from more than 350 top consulting and advisory firms, we offer instant online access to the world's most extensive database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. For more information, call Alison Williams at 212.807.2649 or visit http://www.MarketResearch.com.