Retail Forecasts H1 2012: UK Homewares

Verdict Research: Retail Futures provides dynamic, accurate forecasts for the homewares market. Data includes market demand and price pressures - with full explanation of assumptions made - every three months. The sub-sectors forecasted within homewares include textiles & soft furnishings and household hardware & lighting

Features and benefits

• Sector Summary forecast highlights the key economic factors impacting the wider retail market
• This unique tool takes account of the latest retail events. It tracks short term changes in retail and quantifies their impact on category sales
• Expenditure, inflation and volume growth forecast to Q2 2014 for the homewares market and its sub-sectors
• Comprehensive analysis of the key issues set to impact the homewares market and individual sectors over the next two years
• The reliable and accurate data exposes opportunities for growth and is a key operational planning tool to aid tactical and strategic decision-making

Highlights
Homewares will be the only home related sector which returns to growth in 2012, with a growing influence of fashion trends, a greater presence of value operators and low average selling prices making the homewares category an easy way for consumers to update their homes.

The housing market will continue to negatively impact volumes, however as the stamp duty holiday comes to an end in March, there will be a slight upsurge in demand for homewares as first time buyers look to move quickly before the deadline.

As the VAT rate falls out of annual comparisons and the pressures of elevated cotton prices ease, inflation will fall. While some retailers will pass this onto consumers in the form of lower prices, others are likely to absorb the savings in order to recover some of the squeezed margins over the past 12 months.

Your key questions answered

• What impact will the economy have on retail and how should I build this into my sales forecasts?
• How will inflation effect growth in homewares sales volumes? Will inflationary pressures continue into 2013 and 2014?
• Which homewares sub-sectors will perform the best through 2012–14? Which sectors should my business focus on?