How do Americans shop for furniture and kitchen in 2025?

To understand these new behaviors, HomeByMe, in partnership with IPEA, Prodege and Catalyse Research, surveyed over 9,000 U.S. consumers to uncover what truly drives their decisions. How do Americans shop for furniture and kitchen? Where do Americans buy furniture and kitchen? What do they value most? And how can brands meet them at every stage of the buying journey?

Here’s what we found.

What do American consumers look for when buying furniture and kitchen?

In 2025, American consumers look to buy from furniture and kitchen retailers that prioritize personalization, convenience, and ease.

HomeByMe’s research shows that purchase journeys have lengthened: consumers spend more time researching, comparing, and visiting both online and physical retailers before committing. That means the most successful furniture and kitchen brands in 2025 are those that meet buyers wherever they are and help them visualize every step of the way.

Personalization

As home inspiration becomes easier to access online, consumers are increasingly adopting a project-based mindset. Personalization then becomes a key driver for American consumers looking to make home goods purchases.

For example, consider kitchens. Kitchens are a central example of project-shopping, as consumers spend an average of $13,393 on furnishing them. We found that 27% of these project-minded kitchen shoppers cited personalization as a direct sales trigger. Across all categories, 31% of consumers ranked personalization as a top purchase criteria.

Offering visualization and customization options like HomeByMe’s 3D configurators is the best way to appeal to the project-based demographic, who are willing to spend significant amounts across furnishing categories if their requirements are met.

Convenience

In a world where one-day shipping is available for everything, and online storefronts never close, convenience has come to define the retail experience. The furniture sector is no different: 43% of Americans make more than half of their purchases online.

Enhancing your digital channels has a huge ROI – by making your purchase journey as seamless, informative, and intuitive as possible, you can attract customers and boost sales.

Ease

Although e-commerce is popular, many consumers also need reassurance and validation when buying furniture, especially with larger or more complex purchases. HomeByMe’s research showed that 90% of kitchen buyers consulted a salesperson for reassurance, and 30% of consumers across categories plan to shop more in-store in future.

These customers are looking for ease and comfort while shopping. Retailers who invest in empowering salespeople and building omnichannel experiences will link digital inspiration with in-store validation, easily winning over consumers.

Where do Americans shop for furniture?

In 2025, Americans shop for furniture through hybrid retail experiences, blending digital discovery with physical validation.

HomeByMe found that over 60% of buyers begin on the web, looking for inspiration before visiting showrooms. Popular online platforms at this stage of the journey include retailer brand websites, social media, short-form video content, and AI search engines.

After identifying a shortlist of brands to look out for or products to target, many consumers then move in-store. Up to 90% of consumers across categories consult staff, and most prefer in-person interactions across the board, even appreciating discounts provided by human salespeople more than online offers.

The final stage of purchase can either be online or in-person, depending on delivery fees, convenience, and speed of each channel. Most consumers make furniture and kitchen purchases across both methods, and so the final point of sale channel may differ from earlier stages.

This means the ideal shopping path for American consumers in 2025 is:

1. Online discovery and visualization using AI-augmented platforms.
2. In-store validation to confirm fit, feel, and quality.
3. Online or in-person checkout depending on convenience.

Hybrid retail experiences are the new standard, and furniture and kitchen retailers who combine digital design tools with real-world showroom support, will be best positioned to grow.

Which digital solutions for furniture retailers value-add most?

In 2025, the most valuable technological innovations in furniture retail are those that reduce uncertainty and increase confidence during the buying process.

Consumers want platforms that help them visualize, customize, and confirm their purchase before spending: this is exactly what 3D configurators, room planners, and omnichannel solutions deliver.

1. 3D configurators: powering real-time personalization

3D configurators have become a must-have for both retailers and consumers. These interactive tools allow buyers to customize furniture in real time, adjusting dimensions, fabrics, colors, finishes, and layouts with just a few clicks.

Instead of relying on imagination or static product photos, consumers can now see every detail rendered in photorealistic quality, from the texture of a velvet sofa to how a walnut dining table reflects light in a virtual space.

HomeByMe’s research proves that consumers are won over by configurators: in fact, 50% would choose a furniture brand that offers a configurator over one that doesn’t.

2. 3D room planners: visualizing complete living spaces

If configurators personalize individual products, 3D room planners personalize entire environments. HomeByMe’s virtual twin platform has transformed how people visualize their homes, making the process collaborative, sensory, and confidence-driven. This is particularly useful for project-minded consumers, such as those building kitchens. In fact, our research suggests that 76% of consumers want to use 3D planners in their next kitchen project for these reasons.

Room planners turn what was once a static transaction into an interactive design journey. For retailers, this creates longer engagement time, deeper brand affinity, and valuable insight into consumer preferences that helps to boost sales overall as well as in individual cases.

3. Integration with AR, AI, and omnichannel journeys

In 2025, leading furniture and kitchen retailers embed their digital tools into an omnichannel journey. A shopper can then:

• Design a living room layout with a 3D planner
• Customize individual products with a configurator, preview the entire setup in augmented reality (AR) through their phone’s camera
• Get AI-driven suggestions for similar styles or complementary pieces.
• Share these results with salespeople for in-person support.

This frictionless workflow removes uncertainty from the buying journey. It bridges inspiration, design, and purchase into a single, guided process, boosting sales by inspiring confidence.

Overall, offering tailor-made digital solutions for furniture retailers can provide a huge boost to revenue and customer satisfaction, as well as allowing you to stay competitive in a changing market. Value-adds from 3D software – both configurators and room planners – are particularly useful, as they empower consumers to make purchases and provide opportunities for AI integration.

Learn more

Want to see exactly how Americans are transforming the way they shop for furniture and kitchen in 2025?

Explore HomeByMe, Prodege, Catalyse Research, and IPEA’s 2025 report, The Digital Furniture Index: Furniture’s New Reality.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Exclusive survey results from 9,000+ U.S. consumers
• Insights on how and where Americans shop for furniture today
• Data on how digital solutions like AI, AR, and 3D visualization can add value for retailers and consumers
• Actionable strategies to help furniture brands stay ahead.

No matter what your role is in the furniture industry, our report can help you connect with tomorrow’s furniture and kitchen buyers today.

So, how do Americans shop for furniture, and what’s next for the industry in 2025 and beyond? To discover all of our insights, read the full report now.

Interested in our research on the global furniture industry? Read our 2024 report on the state of the furniture industry in Europe.