Could Netflix's 'Tidying Up' Boost the Home Furnishings Market?

If you've been addicted to the calm T-shirt folding techniques and inspirational organization ideas of Marie Kondo lately, you may be on the hunt for a new wardrobe dresser to hold all those pretty, upright jeans. "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" is a new Netflix series based on the bestselling guide to de-cluttering your closet, your kids' playroom, and your life. Many people make New Year's resolutions related to how their house should "bring them joy" — one of Kondo's golden rules of whether or not to keep the material items that live there — so more may be heading to IKEA in the coming weeks armed with a newfound sense of the burden unkempt things could have on our heart and soul.

Will furniture and home furnishing stores benefit from potentially more people wanting to clean up their komonos? (For the uninitiated, the Japanese word "komono" to Marie Kondo includes everything unsentimental you own after your clothing, books, and paper items like mail and bills — essentially THE kitchen sink and all the miscellaneous stuff that surrounds it. Don't forget, though: She wants you to get rid of everything else, too.)

While only time may tell, those in the housewares industry could take note of consumers' desire to simplify and adjust their in-store experiences. Although many retailers are focusing on increasing e-commerce sales, and rightly so, customers still value shopping at a housewares or furniture store and finding an associate who can give them proper advice or direction (and maybe as whisper-sweetly as Kondo does). For example, a recent survey of 2,500 millennials by investment bank Roth Capital Partners found that 58% of respondents wanted to buy their home furnishings at a physical store, while 26% were interested in buying furniture and housewares online. Amazon, Macy's, and HomeGoods were overall preferred by millennials over Wayfair. Nearly 80% also said an enhanced in-store experience with product demonstrations and better customer service would increase their visits and potential purchases.

Other recent Home Furnishings Stores, Furniture Stores, and Furniture Manufacturing trends we could see through 2019, per my latest research on these industry profiles for Dun & Bradstreet:

Augmented Reality Tools: In an effort to improve customer experience and increase sales, more home furnishings retailers are investing in advanced augmented reality and 3D rendering tools that let potential buyers visualize how products look in their homes. Williams-Sonoma launched its Design Crew Room Planner in late 2018, allowing users to map out a room with potential furnishings from its popular brands, such as West Elm and Pottery Barn. IKEA and Amazon also use similar augmented reality features while other retailers, like Home Depot and Lowe’s, use in-store virtual reality and 3D modeling to help customers visualize their home improvement products. Can you visualize a tidy garage in your future?

Restructuring, Smaller Stores: As furniture manufacturers struggle with weaker demand for furniture and a higher price of raw materials, they may need to reevaluate their labor costs and company offerings. Leggett & Platt recently underwent a restructuring of its fashion bed and home furniture businesses, which led to the decision to lay off about 200 plant workers before April 2019. Earlier in 2018, major industry player Heritage Home Group filed for bankruptcy, with its popular brands sold off to multiple buyers. IKEA also has implemented global staff reductions in advance of increasing the number of smaller stores in big cities to adapt to the growth in online shopping, with most items only available for delivery.

Compact Packaging: Speaking of delivery, vacuum packaging has made some furniture products easier to transport, which has resulted in imports and exports becoming more substantial over the last decade, according to the Centre for Industrial Studies. Global mattress production increased 40% from 2008 to 2017 and is expected to continue growing through at least 2022. The largest mattress manufacturing area is the Asia-Pacific region followed by North America, the latter of which accounts for about one-third of worldwide production. China leads in consumption of mattresses, but also is the largest mattress exporter at a value of about $1 billion per year.

What might have the biggest impact on stores that offer both furniture and housewares? Once finished with Kondo's lessons, those looking to tidy the little things in their home may also consider upgrading some of the big things in their clean space — and they may be buying them online. Nearly 40% of consumers say they plan to purchase a large, bulky item like a couch online in the next year, according to a recent survey commissioned by XPO Logistics. As a result, these retailers will continue competing with the likes of Amazon, where people can easily buy new hallway closet organizers and a comfy chair for the living room at the same time.

Although I'm only a few episodes in, I can already see my own need to inject a little more joy into my home as I watch in awe (and sometimes horror) at those featured in "Tidying Up."

"Is there ever a time when things are out of order at your house?" one couple with two toddlers asks Kondo.

Kondo giggles and nods (though we all know she's politely lying), then moves on to continue her attack on their messy kitchen drawers.

If only we all could have the stamina — after thanking the items we're discarding, another Kondo rule — to follow through. Now excuse me, while I go create, and disassemble, my own "clothes mountain."

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Amber Krosel is an editor at Dun & Bradstreet, where she reports on emerging trends in industries including food and beverage, education, and government. Follow Amber on Twitter.

D&B Editorial is an in-house team that creates indispensable company, industry, and IT reports found in D&B Hoovers, First Research, and other D&B products. Industry profiles cover key challenges, trends, and opportunities, while company and CRUSH reports cover strategy, financials, and technology developments.