Table of Contents
1. Hot-selling Furniture Subcategories
2. Recommendations for sellers in the Furniture category
3. Overseas consumer profiles and 2020 trends in the Furniture category
4. Furniture category compliance certifications and operational tips
5. Overview of Overseas Furniture Markets
6. Furniture category successful seller experience sharing

When you move, do you buy new furniture or keep using old furniture?Do you usually buy furniture online or shop in physical stores?Do you prefer to buy or rent furniture?This article is all you need to understand overseas consumers’ furniture preferences!You’ll also get compliance certifications, selling tips, and an overview of overseas furniture markets—packed with practical insights!

Let’s start with a few warm-up bonus questions about overseas consumer profiles:

1. Do overseas consumers usually buy new furniture or keep using old furniture?
A. Buy new furniture
B. Continue using old furniture

2. When buying large furniture items, do consumers in overseas markets prefer to rent furniture?
A. Yes
B. No

3. What factors do overseas consumers usually consider when buying furniture?
A. Furniture quality
B. Furniture style
C. Furniture price
D. Furniture delivery method
E. Furniture’s appearance design
F. The functionality of furniture
G. Furniture durability

Consumer groups can be viewed from two perspectives: homeowners and renters. Comparatively, renters tend to have a lower average order value, have a higher demand for product portability and versatility, and prefer products with unique, stylish designs. In the US Marketplace furniture and home industry, most consumers are 25–44 years old, accounting for 57.7%. Among them, consumers ages 25–34 account for 30%, and they are also a group with a relatively high share of renters [1].

Different age groups are influenced by different factors when buying new furniture [2]:
● Consumers ages 18–29 and 50 and older are more concerned about price. Among them, consumers ages 18–29 have stricter quality requirements and place more emphasis on value for money
● Consumers ages 30–49 care more about product quality than price, and this group is more focused on quality
● Compared to consumers over the age of 30, consumers aged 18-29 pay more attention to whether it matches the existing overall style when purchasing new furniture
● In terms of purchasing convenience, consumers aged 18–29 are more likely to appreciate the convenience of buying furniture online

At the same time, data shows that the living room, bedroom, and patio are the top three areas where consumers plan to add new furniture in their homes[3].

When buying different furniture, consumers overseas consider different factors [4]. For example: consumers spend more on quality and style when buying sofas/sectional sofas, mattresses, televisions, refrigerators, and dining tables/dining chairs<2>. For sofas/sectional sofas and mattresses, consumers are more likely to want to see the actual products in person.

At the same time, the top five priorities for overseas consumers in the furniture and home category are, in order, quality, appearance and design, price, functionality, and durability; compared with other categories, they are less strict about shipping speed[5].
Quality: materials, hardware, baked paint, fabrics, fillers, and other materials and workmanship, load-bearing capacity, fire resistance, water resistance, environmental friendliness, etc.
Appearance and design: color, appearance, texture, and whether it matches the existing décor style
Price: value for money comes first, and budgets vary for different furniture
Functionality: suitable for multiple scenarios, whether it has extra storage features, whether it is easy to store and move, etc.
Durability: whether the material and structure are sturdy and stable, can bear weight, are easy to maintain or resistant to aging, and can be used for a long time

The latest trends in the furniture category in 2020 mainly focus on the environmental safety and versatility of products. In addition, consumers can get inspiration for home décor from physical furniture stores[6]. In addition, you can also get inspiration for home decor from social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter; furniture-related websites, such as Nate & Jeremiah By Design; and furniture trade shows, such as High Point Market.

China currently has five major furniture industry clusters, accounting for 90% of China’s furniture production capacity[7]:
South China (Pearl River Delta) furniture industry region: centered on Guangdong, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Shunde, Foshan, and other areas in Guangdong Province, it is the largest furniture industry region in China and has advantages in industry clusters, supply chains, and branding
East China (Yangtze River Delta) Furniture Industry Cluster: centered around Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, it is the fastest-growing furniture region
North China (Bohai Rim) furniture industrial zone: centered in Beijing and extending to Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, and other areas
Northeast furniture industrial zone: centered on the Shenyang and Dalian corridor, extending to old industrial bases in Northeast China such as Heilongjiang, with advantages in solid wood furniture production and timber resources
Western furniture industry area: for example, Chengdu, Sichuan

Among these five furniture industry zones, the South China and East China zones are the two main industry zones with the largest output and the highest export value, and Guangdong Province and Zhejiang Province are China’s major furniture-producing and furniture-exporting provinces. Since the reform and opening up, Shunde District in Foshan City, Guangdong Province has become an important base for furniture production, supporting industries, and sales. Lecong Town has become the largest furniture distribution center in China, and Longjiang Town has become a major hub for furniture production and the production of supporting materials. In recent years, Zhejiang Province has seen the emergence of a number of large furniture companies with broad influence both in China and abroad.

US Marketplace:
● All products containing any of the following wood products—hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard (including thin MDF), or particleboard (collectively, “composite wood”)—are regulated by agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Before selling composite wood furniture on Amazon, you must ensure that the product complies with the relevant regulations relating to composite wood products. Composite wood furniture must comply with EPA formaldehyde emission standards and labeling requirements. All products containing controlled composite wood that do not meet EPA formaldehyde emission standards and products containing controlled composite wood that are not separately labeled in accordance with EPA regulations will be banned. At the same time, in 2008, the California government approved the Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) issued by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products. Composite wood products and finished products containing composite wood products that have not passed CARB certification cannot obtain a “green card” to enter California, United States (for example, furniture made of particleboard, medium-density fiberboard, etc.)
For Amazon’s requirements for composite wood products, go to 【Seller Central】 for more information
For information on formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products, please go to the link for details:
For other information related to EPA formaldehyde emissions, please go to the EPA website:
● Mattresses in the United States are subject to flame-resistance requirements, so we recommend that products obtain the UL mark. It is important to note that UL certification or other certification is not related to customs, and customs do not require it. However, if any of them has a UL mark or other certification claim, the importer must provide documentation and valid proof that has been filed. There have been cases where importers marked their goods as UL certified, but Customs found no certification records (Customs will need to confirm any certificates provided with the relevant parties) and ultimately detained the goods

Europe Marketplace: Most products sold require CE certification. The duration of the CE certification process depends on various factors. If all the required information is complete, it will take approximately 4 weeks to complete the certification. Chairs exported to the EU must meet the EN 12520 testing requirements for indoor seating and the EN 581-1-2 testing requirements for outdoor seating. Upholstered non-household seating products must meet the applicable requirements of the BS 7176 flame-retardant testing standard. Also, if you sell whiteboard sets, note that the markers included with the whiteboard contain ink and require a special dangerous goods review before they can be sold in Europe. Sellers who need to send an FBA will need to contact your account manager to initiate this review

● European Furniture Environmental Standards—Wood Panels
Whether it is European furniture environmental standards or domestic furniture environmental standards, the main consideration and testing are based on two aspects. In European furniture environmental standards, the main focus is the panels used in furniture, as a furniture’s environmental performance is most directly and primarily reflected in the panels it uses. Because good boards contain very low levels of formaldehyde, the European furniture environmental standard E0 is one of the top standards for environmental protection. In other words, the formaldehyde content of the boards used in the furniture is less than or equal to 3 mg/100 g.

● European furniture environmental standards—finishes
In addition to looking at panels, furniture finishes also directly affect the environmental friendliness of furniture. Generally speaking, good furniture finishes are more wear-resistant and scratch-resistant, do not fade with long-term use, and have a very stable physical structure. Poor finishes can easily yellow and release harmful substances.

● European furniture environmental standards—green standards
Most people believe that furniture that does not meet European furniture environmental standards mainly refers to furniture that releases excessive amounts of formaldehyde, benzene compounds, and other harmful substances. This type of furniture that does not meet European furniture environmental standards is generally made using low-quality engineered wood and low-quality paint, and its panels and accessories do not meet the standards. Furniture that meets European environmental standards generally refers to furniture that does not emit harmful substances, has extremely strict dimensional standards during the design and production process, and is designed according to ergonomic principles.

● European Furniture Environmental Standards - E0 Environmental Standards E0-Class Environmental Standards
In furniture environmental standards, the E0 environmental standard is currently one of the highest international health and environmental standards, mainly for testing formaldehyde content in furniture, interior decoration, and similar materials. For wooden furniture, not only Europe but countries around the world have very strict regulations on the formaldehyde content in the panels used for all types of wooden furniture, and the formaldehyde emission of all types of wooden furniture used in living spaces must be less than or equal to 1.5 mg/L.

Japan Marketplace: No additional certification is required for office furniture

US Marketplace:
For large products, logistics and transportation are very important. If the packaging is not up to standard, the product can be easily damaged during transit, so corrugated cartons are generally used (single-wall corrugated cartons and double-wall corrugated cartons; double-wall corrugated cartons are mainly used for individually packed contents that are lighter in weight and fragile, while single-wall corrugated cartons are mainly used for packing small items). The inside is filled with foam strips and wrapped with pearl cotton. The load-bearing capacity of the “VOS” outer packaging carton must meet the standard, and corrugated cartons with a burst strength of 300 pounds are generally selected. The inner packaging also needs to be reasonably designed and arranged according to the product’s accessories to minimize the damage rate during transit.

The following is the cost breakdown for FBA fulfillment fees in the US Marketplace:

As can be seen above: shipping costs do not differ much between small large-bulky items and medium large-bulky items, but large large-bulky items are priced higher. Therefore, large-bulky furniture sellers can greatly improve cost control by properly planning their product packaging dimensions.
For US delivery fees, please log in to the link to view them

Europe Marketplace: For logistics and transportation, the outer cartons for large furniture must meet load-bearing requirements, and the inner packaging should also be reasonably designed and arranged based on the product's accessories to minimize damage during transit. After launching a new product, we recommend shipping and testing it in 3–4 waves instead of listing everything at once, because that can reduce the efficiency of launching new products, for example, by causing competition for top ad placements.

Japan Marketplace: Large furniture is generally shipped by sea. Generally, sellers ship from Ningbo and Shanghai, and can reach Japanese warehouses and have their products listed within 14 days. At the same time, some large sellers in the furniture category use ultra-hard K5W cartons for packaging and conduct a six-side, eight-corner drop test before shipping. They send only the items that pass the test to FBA warehouses. The Japan Marketplace delivery fees are as follows:

Small standard-size product size bands:

Large bulky standard size tier:

Extra-large product size tier:

For details, please log in

Most furniture is not seasonal. Sales are slightly higher than usual in March, July, and August, and the end of the year is the peak sales period. We recommend increasing shipment volume 1 month before peak sales and maintaining 6–8 WOC (Week Of Coverage). Keep enough inventory at the end of the year to avoid slow shipments and stranded goods during Christmas and Lunar New Year, which could affect your inventory status for the following year.

Review count is very important:
For products in the furniture category, research found that the difference in average product ratings between the best-performing products and the worst-performing products was small—nowhere near as large as the difference in review counts. Overall star ratings had a limited impact, while the average number of reviews had a greater impact on sales.

Focus on the product description:
For consumers, large furniture items are planned purchases. They spend more time carefully researching information such as a product’s size, quality, materials, and features, and they also spend more time comparing different products. This means sellers need to make the product’s Bullet Points not only focused on the key points, but also detailed and advantage-driven, to better help consumers make purchase decisions.

Give customers an immersive experience whenever possible:
Consumers care a lot about whether a furniture style matches their home’s interior design style, so lifestyle images, videos, and 360-degree images are very important for showing the style of furniture products and giving consumers as immersive a sensory experience as possible. Include both text and images whenever possible, use simple and easy-to-understand installation illustrations, clearly mark specifications and dimensions, and show scenario-based simulations and how the product can be used in multiple settings, such as homes and offices. For products that need to be assembled, it is important to upload product instructions, and the content should be simple and easy to understand to reduce unnecessary negative reviews and returns.

Clearly state product information and whether eco-friendly materials are used:
Please note that product dimensions should be clearly marked on the product detail page so that customers can purchase compatible products based on the product information. At the same time, the Europe and North America Marketplaces also have relatively high requirements for how eco-friendly product materials are, and whether eco-friendly materials are used is also one of the selling points that helps drive sales.

Japan Station A+ does not require a brand registration:
We recommend that sellers in Japan put more thought into their A+ Content and highlight consumers’ use scenarios. In addition to office spaces, you can also include home and indoor scenes.

Project: 360° View
Applicable marketplaces: North America, Europe, Japan
Project description:360° View enables consumers to interact with products more directly: they can rotate products and inspect them from different angles, and it works on all devices, so consumers can review products with confidence. For furniture products purchased on a planned basis, consumers want to see more product details. Return costs for large furniture products are higher and the process is more complex. 360° View helps sellers give customers a better understanding of the product before purchase, reducing returns and after-sales costs caused by products not matching their descriptions and other issues.
Supports the following 14 categories: Furniture, Home, Home Improvement, Kitchen, Patio, Lighting, Sporting Goods, Toys, Leisure and Entertainment, Automotive, Pet Products, Major Appliances, Industrial and Scientific Supplies
Application tips: You can go to Seller Central and ask an Amazon account manager to help you upload.

Project:FBA New Selection program
Since March of last year, Fulfillment by Amazon has offered limited-time discounts on storage fees and removal fees, providing free monthly storage and removal services for eligible new selections to help sellers save on the cost of testing new products. Based on positive feedback from sellers, Fulfillment by Amazon has further expanded this program’s benefits and launched the upgraded “FBA New Selection program” in 7 major Marketplaces: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan. The number of ASINs eligible for fee reductions has increased from 100 to 500. In addition, categories such as apparel, shoes, and luggage can also get free returns processing. Sellers can use this program to test new products with confidence, and new sellers or sellers using Merchant Fulfilled Network can also use this program to try Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) at a low cost.

Revenue for the furniture and home category in the global e-commerce market exceeded US$172.9 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to US$263.8 billion by 2024[8].

In 2019, the overall e-commerce sales of the US furniture and home goods industry exceeded $44.4 billion, and they are expected to reach $56.8 billion by 2024, an increase of about 22%[9].

The annual growth rates across European and US Marketplaces are generally higher than average, with many large items in the US furniture category, a solid share of online purchases, and strong growth potential [10]; compared with European and US Marketplaces, the overall size of the furniture category in Japan is smaller and is growing rapidly.

It is worth mentioning that there are differences in per capita spending on home improvement from city to city. Take the United States as an example: from 2016 to 2018, Minnesota had the highest per capita spending on home improvement, at $9,322, while Tampa had the lowest per capita spending on home improvement, at $4,092[11].