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Furniture

Why does furniture fall apart so easily?

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham
Sep 27, 2023
Furniture used to last a lifetime. Now, not so much. But how did we get here?
"A great place to buy long-lasting furniture is a vintage furniture store, right? The proof is in the pudding that it's well made because it's lasting long enough for you to be able to purchase it right now," said Washington Post reporter Rachel Kurzius.
jozzeppe/Getty Images
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Furniture sellers adapt to a nationwide drop in sales

by Stephanie Hughes
Sep 15, 2023
Sales at furniture stores have been sliding amid a cooling housing market and weakening consumer sentiment about making big purchases.
AJ Venable at Urban Links Furniture & Appliances in Baltimore. He said his customers have become more price-sensitive.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace
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A classic midcentury modern chair gets a sustainable remake

by Cole del Charco
Nov 24, 2022
Furniture maker Herman Miller is now manufacturing the Eames plastic shell chair out of post-industrial recycled plastic.
The Eames plastic shell chair in new colors, and a new material — recycled plastic.
Courtesy Herman Miller
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Don't expect the usual furniture sale deals this Presidents Day weekend

by Savannah Maher
Feb 18, 2022
You can thank our old pal, the supply chain.
The usual Presidents Day sales at furniture stores could be curbed because of supply chain issues.
moodboard / Getty Images
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Ikea gets into the resale game

by Amy Scott
Aug 30, 2021
The furniture giant is piloting a program in the U.S. aimed at keeping its furniture in circulation rather than in the landfill.
Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
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Trade showdown

Trade war tariffs now truly part of the furniture

by Andy Uhler
Nov 15, 2019
To get around tariffs, some furniture stores have changed where their furniture is made.
A family shops at an Ikea in New Jersey.
Stephen Chernin/Getty Images
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The (almost) secret workshops below Capitol Hill

by Kimberly Adams and Annie Rees
Jan 9, 2019
The arrival of a new Congress sets off a flurry of activity on — and under — Capitol Hill.
To restore century-old "Turkish" chairs like this one, Mike Dean will use the original plans and actual horsehair for the stuffing.
Kimberly Adams/Marketplace
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My Economy

My Economy: Leaving the big city life behind

by Marketplace Staff
May 8, 2018
One former journalist left the newsroom for the family business. The reason? A lower cost of living.
Matt Schewel traded a job in Washington, D.C., interviewing senators and congressman for work in the family furniture business. 
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
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How do you define the American dream? Ikea wants to know

by David Brancaccio
Sep 21, 2016
Can a company built on selling stuff help Americans achieve sustainable, happy lives?
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Why are there so many mattress stores?

by Marketplace Contributor
May 2, 2016
It's not your imagination. Mattress stores are popping up everywhere.
A recently opened Mattress Firm in Chicago's South Loop. After a wave of acquisitions, Mattress Firm now has 3,500 stores in 48 states and controls one-third of the market.
Derek L. John/Marketplace
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