Consumer Edge Reports Big-Ticket Home Purchases Stalled in 2025 as Consumers Shift Spending Toward Repairs, Upkeep and Smaller-Ticket Décor and Kitchen Products

Higher Interest Rates, Limited Housing Turnover and Ongoing Affordability Pressures Weighed on Home and Garden Spending

Ace Hardware, Sherwin-Williams, Menards and Rural King Benefited from Regional Repair and Upkeep Demand

Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate & Barrel and Ashley Furniture Saw Higher Average Ticket Sizes Even as Demand Slowed

NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Edge, the leading provider of global consumer data-driven insights, released its Home & Garden Outlook 2026, showing that consumers pulled back on large, discretionary purchases such as furniture and mattresses, while spending held up better on décor, kitchen products and essential home maintenance in 2025; a divide that continues to shape the market in 2026.

Consumer Edge's U.S. transaction data revealed that elevated interest rates, limited housing turnover and ongoing affordability concerns were key drivers weighing on overall home and garden spending last year, ultimately pushing many households to postpone major home investments. Additional trends include:

• Affluent and budget-conscious consumers both pull back – Spending slowed across income groups late in 2025, with the sharpest declines among households earning under $40,000 and those earning over $150,000, signaling a broader reallocation of discretionary spending away from home-related categories.
• Home furnishings prices continued to rise even as demand slowed – Across the home furnishings category, pricing pressure persisted throughout 2025, even as demand softened. Inflation remained a factor across the category, as average transaction sizes increased across a majority of leading brands, with companies such as Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate & Barrel (and CB2) and Ashley Furniture among those reflecting this broader trend.
• Home improvement spending stabilized around repairs and maintenance – While overall home improvement spending softened for a third consecutive year, demand remained higher than it was before the pandemic. Retailers tied to everyday repairs and maintenance continued to perform better than the broader category, including Ace Hardware, Sherwin-Williams, Menards and Rural King.
• Millennial homeowners stood out as an important source of future growth – Consumers between 25 and 44 years of age increased their share of home improvement spending in 2025, with brands such as Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Sherwin-Williams gaining traction through loyalty programs, digital tools and project support resources.

"What we're seeing isn't a collapse in home spending, but a reset of priorities," said Michael Gunther, Vice President, Research and Market Intelligence, at Consumer Edge. "Consumers are pushing pause on large, discretionary purchases while continuing to invest in repairs and upkeep. That dynamic is also evident in home furnishings, with consumers delaying big-ticket purchases like furniture and mattresses while continuing to spend on lower-commitment upgrades, such as small décor and kitchen product purchases. In 2026, retailers that focus on everyday needs, durability and real value are more likely to benefit from customer demand, while big-ticket home purchases are likely to remain under pressure until housing and financing conditions improve."

Consumer Edge's full Home & Garden Outlook 2026 can be read here.

About Consumer Edge
Consumer Edge is a leading data and insights-as-a-service (IaaS) company specializing in the global consumer, B2B, and healthcare economies. Founded in 2009 by CEO Bill Pecoriello, Consumer Edge delivers real-time, transaction-based intelligence enriched by deep industry expertise. Its solutions equip corporate and investment leaders with best-in-class tools for faster, more confident strategic decision-making, offering granular insights and performance comparisons across products, brands, sub-industries, and industries. Consumer Edge's unique capabilities turn complex data into clear, actionable insights that help clients eliminate uncertainty, benchmark performance, and make high-impact decisions.

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SOURCE Consumer Edge