The 2025 Trends Every Furniture Retailer MUST Know

Here are 10 major tech + retail stories furniture store owners should track in 2025. These developments are shaping how customers find, interact with, and buy home furnishings—and your store needs to be ahead of the curve.

🚀 1. AI‑driven personalization boosts sales 

Dunelm recently reported a 14% share price surge after adopting AI search and recommendation engines that deliver highly personalized customer experiences—driving a 4% rise in Q4 sales to £415 M in what remains a cautious market (Kyndryl, The Times).
Why it matters: Tailored product suggestions can become your competitive edge.

🧠 2. Retailer “smart stores” via digital twins 

Lowe’s is using Nvidia’s 3D Omniverse to create digital replicas of retail spaces—then tweaking layouts, stock levels, and displays virtually before rolling them out in-store (Business Insider).
Why it matters: Optimize your floor space and inventory mix with much less testing cost and time.

📦 3. Decline in big-item deliveries

JB Hunt reports “historically low” demand in final-mile deliveries of furniture, appliances, and gym equipment, signaling caution in large-ticket buys due to macroeconomic factors (Investopedia).
Why it matters: Customers may delay or downsize orders—find ways to boost confidence via tech solutions like AR, flexible options, or professional assembly.

🪑 4. Hybrid & omnichannel shopping dominates

A survey by 3D Cloud shows 45% of shoppers now use a mix of online and in-store touchpoints, while online-only furniture shopping rose 26% (Furniture Today).
Why it matters: Delivering a truly unified experience across online, mobile, and showroom should be a priority.

🌱 5. Digital, sustainability, and personalization leadership

"Beyond 2025" analysis finds that 77% of customers want digital tools aiding purchase decisions, while 75% expect seamless in‑store + online options—especially BOPIS/curbside pick‑up (iEnhance).
Why it matters: Your tech roadmap should include AR previews, customization tools, eco‑friendly claims—then communicate them clearly.

🤖 6. AI customer assistants and chatbots

Industry reports highlight growing customer openness to AI-driven shopping assistants—especially among urban and younger shoppers (Provoke Insights).
Why it matters: Integrating chatbots with in-depth product info can shorten decision cycles and reduce friction.

🔍 7. AR/3D visualization causes a stir

Fixtuur research names AR and 3D tools as top finalists in the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards—despite a gap in adoption due to skill and integration barriers (Retail Technology Innovation Hub).
Why it matters: AR drives higher conversions, lower returns, and shopper confidence.

🛋 8. Smart furniture explosion

Grand View Research projects a CAGR of 13.7% through 2030 for smart furniture—driven by WFH trends, aging demographics, and demand for connected living solutions (Made-in-China.com).
Why it matters: Blend in smart lighting, charging surfaces, or sensor-enabled features to appeal to new audiences.

🛠 9. Seamless assembly services integration (IKEA + TaskRabbit)

IKEA’s in‑checkout TaskRabbit integration has boosted assembly uptake by 50%, increased AOV nearly 5×, and reduced returns by ~40% (the-sun.com).
Why it matters: Adding assembly or setup upsells at checkout drives revenue and reduces post-purchase issues.

🌆 10. Small urban-format, experience-led stores (IKEA UK example)

IKEA’s pivot to inner-city, digitally-enhanced showrooms has supported the 40% growth in its UK e-commerce sales—bringing the brand closer to urban shoppers (ft.com).
Why it matters: Compact, tech-enabled showrooms can build loyalty and drive experiential value.

🔑 What This Means for Your Store

AI-powered discovery: Give each visitor a personalized journey—from search to suggestion.

Smart store design: Optimize layouts and planograms using digital twins.

AR/3D visualization: Let shoppers place your furniture in their space before buying.

Seamless omnichannel & services: Integrate BOPIS, assembly, chatbots, and mobile checkout.

Next-gen product development: Explore smart, sustainable, and connected furniture options.

🛠 How FurnishStack Helps You Act Now

FurnishStack delivers the full stack of tools your store needs to transform quickly:

• AR/WebAR product previews

• AI discovery & personalized recommendations

• Integrated add-ons like assembly offers and chat assistance

• Data‑driven insights, centralized across all touchpoints

👇 Book a free consultation with FurnishStack and we’ll show you which tech moves make sense for your footprint, product mix, and customer base. Let’s help you stand out in 2025—and outpace competitors using outdated strategies.

• The Times
• Business Insider
• Investopedia
• the-sun.com
• ft.com