by Orders and shipments also rise from June, albeit at a slower pace than the increases from last year
HIGH POINT — New orders and shipments for residential furniture in July were both up from July 2025, according to the latest Furniture Insights report from Smith Leonard.
New orders totaled $2.36 billion, up 9% from $2.17 billion in July 2025, with two-thirds of survey respondents reporting increases versus decreases during the period. New orders were up 5% from $2.6 billion in June.
Furniture shipments totaled $2.27 billion, up 8% from $2.1 billion in July 2025 and up for 60% of survey participants. They were up 3% from $2.19 billion in June.
Backlogs totaled $2.73 billion, up 12% from $2.45 billion in July 2025 and up 2% from $2.64 billion in June.
The report suggests an increase in overall demand during the summer, a time when business typically slows down as families are on vacation and not spending much of their time off shopping for furniture.
Other highlights of the report are as follows:
+ Receivable levels were down 1% from July 2025 and were down 1% from June.
+ Inventories were up 4% from July 2025 and up 1% from June.
+ Payroll expenses were up 10% from July 2025 and were up 4% compared to June.
+ The report also noted that employee levels are materially in line with recent months and the downward trend from the prior year. The number of factory and warehouse employees was down 3% from July 2025 and up 1% from the prior month.
