by However both segments were down from July, according to recent Furniture Insights report
HIGH POINT — Orders and shipments both rose from August 2025, but declined from July, indicating a late-summer slowdown heading toward the Labor Day weekend.
The latest Furniture Insights report from Smith Leonard said new orders for residential furniture totaled $2.3 billion, up 11% from $2.1 billion in August 2025 and up for two-thirds of survey participants.
They were down 4% from $2.36 billion in July.
By comparison, residential furniture shipments totaled $2.24 billion, up 1% from $2.23 billion in August 2025 and also up for two-thirds of survey participants.
Shipments were down 2% from $2.8 billion in July.
August backlogs totaled $2.8 billion, up 17% from $2.4 billion in August 2025 and up 2% from $2.73 billion in July.
Other highlights of the report were as follows:
+ Receivables were down 2% from August 2025 and up 1% from July.
+ Inventories were up 1% from August 2025 and down 1% from July.
+ The number of factory and warehouse employees was down 3% from August 2025 and level with July.
+ Payroll expense was up 5% from August 2025 and flat compared with July.
The report noted that employee levels “are again materially in line with recent months and the downward trend from prior year.”
