Spending on furniture and home improvements continues to be higher than before the pandemic, new figures have revealed.
During 2021, spending on furniture was up almost 20 percent compared to 2019, according to data from Barclaycard which is responsible for almost half of the UK’s credit and debit card transactions. And the amount consumers were spending on home improvements and DIY had increased by even more and was 26.2 percent higher in 2021 than two years earlier.
Restrictions on travel, an increase in home working, lockdowns and periods of self-isolation have meant people have been spending more time in their own properties than ever before. This has prompted some people to re-evaluate the space they have and invest in improving their homes with new furniture and homeware as well as DIY projects.
Spending has been higher in other areas too – transactions on supermarket shopping were up 17.4 percent, while spending on essential items in general was up 11.1 percent, which could largely be due to rising inflation and the increased cost of living.
Categories grew despite challenging year
Jose Carvalho, head of consumer products at Barclaycard, said: “2021 was another challenging year, as the pandemic continued to hamper the UK economy. However, categories such as local food retailers, takeaways and digital entertainment continued to do well, thanks to Brits’ demand for convenient, local, and at-home shopping experiences.
“In addition, with more time spent working from home, Brits continued to invest in their households, resulting in strong growth for both DIY and pet stores.”
High demand from consumers for items to improve their homes has seen a rise in retailers selling furniture and homeware online. This has fuelled demand for companies like AP+ who provide third party logistics (3PL) services to companies working within this industry.
AP+ works with many brands in the homeware and furniture industry, including new online retailers, providing them with the warehouse space they need as well as giving them a reliable and cost-effective distribution service.
Our purpose-built warehouse in a convenient central location has space to store stock until it is needed. And when orders come in, our team can fulfil them on the company’s behalf, picking and packing each one before sending them directly to the end customer.
This solution is ideal for companies who do not own their own warehouse and distribution facilities and are keen to avoid any potential disruptions to the supply chain which would inconvenience their customers.
To find out more about the services AP+ offers, get in touch with the team today.
