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Amazon online furniture sales reported up by 50 percent
By Karl D. Forth
Amazon-furniture.JPG

Furniture is one the fastest-growing retail categories on Amazon, according to a report by Nathan Rigby for One Click Retail.

Total U.S. furniture sales were $70 billion in 2016, according to One Click Retail. Amazon furniture sales were $2.3 billion in 2016, and year-to-date furniture sales for Amazon are up 50 percent in 2017.

In May, Amazon decided to venture more deeply into sales of bulkier non-traditional e-commerce items—including furniture, power tools, and home appliances.
 
In June,  the e-commerce giant formally announced plans for a new fulfillment center in Jefferson, Georgia. Amazon said the 850,000 sq.ft. facility will help it move more deeply into furniture and other large items.
 
When opened, the facility will create 1,000 new full-time jobs. The company currently has more than 1,500 full-time employees at its existing facilities in the state. A warehouse currently operating in Jefferson describes positions as paying up to $11.50 per hour.
 
Also in June, Ashley Furniture announced its intent to compete with Amazon and other e-commerce giants, and broke ground on a $30 million, 500,000-square-foot expansion in its hometown.
 
After a drop in net income, furniture manufacturer La-Z-Boy is considering selling furniture on Amazon.
 

In the 2015 calendar year, Amazon's online furniture sales grew by 18 percent to reach a 15 percent share of the U.S. furniture market. Year-to-date in 2017, Amazon is getting more of that market share.

According to Morgan Stanley, Amazon has a 17 percent market share of home furnishings, a retail category that includes bedding and decor. The largest furniture category for Amazon in 2017 was reported to be mattresses and mattress frames. Other top categories were bedroom furniture, living room furniture, home office furniture and kitchen furniture.

Amazon reportedly faces stiff competition from Wayfair and Overstock in online furniture sales. See http://www.oneclickretail.com.eclickretail.com.

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About the author
Karl Forth

Karl D. Forth is online editor for CCI Media. He also writes news and feature stories in FDMC Magazine, in addition to newsletters and custom publishing projects. He is also involved in event organization, and compiles the annual FDM 300 list of industry leaders. He can be reached at [email protected].

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