ARMONK, N.Y. — An IBM analytics-based forecast released Thursday expects that sales of home furnishings in the United States will shoot higher in the second quarter, with in-store sales increasing nearly 8% to $23.2 billion and online sales increasing 28.4%.
Combined in-store and online sales of home furnishings are expected to grow 16.6% in the second quarter.
IBM experts cited a number of important factors that could be driving purchases, including “Year of the Dragon” weddings and the trend toward accessorizing living spaces.