Over the past few years, the furniture industry has lost Circle Furniture and Valley City Furniture, and seen Art Van Furniture and Weir’s close their doors.
It has been an unprecedented period of long-lived brands shutting down, but Furniture Today Editor Emeritus Ray Allegrezza pushes back at the narrative that’s supposed to explain why so many furniture stores and chains have closed.
“The explanation offered is almost always the same. Housing is down. Tariffs are up. Inflation is squeezing consumers. Costs — from fuel to freight — remain elevated,” he wrote. “All of that is true, but it is also incomplete. Because at the very same time, other furniture retailers are not shrinking; they are expanding into the very spaces left behind.”
He noted that some chains, including Bob’s Discount Furniture and Gardner White, have been opening stores to fill the void left by their closed rivals.
Now, another longstanding retail giant, Baker’s Main Street Furniture, has decided to shut its doors forever, but the owner isn’t blaming the usual suspects for the shutdown.
Baker’s Main Street Furniture closing
“Struggling retailers often point to macro pressures: sluggish housing turnover, tariffs, inflation and rising delivery costs. But those pressures are universal. Value City Furniture faced them, and so did Bob’s. Circle Furniture dealt with them, just as Ashley and Ikea have. Art Van operated in the same regional economy as Gardner White,” Allegrezza wrote.
Baker’s Main Street Furniture owner may have been impacted by all of those factors, but owner David Baker is not saying that’s why he has chosen to close the doors after 103 years.
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Instead, he’s calling the shutdown a retirement, Furniture Today reported.
Baker has chosen furniture promotional sales specialists Planned Furniture Promotions to handle its going-out-of-business sale.
“When a business has served the same community for more than a century, its impact reaches far beyond the showroom,” PFP Senior Vice President Tom Liddell told Furniture Today. “This is the end of an extraordinary chapter, and we’re honored to help the Baker family through this milestone.”
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Baker’s Main Street Furniture was a regional giant
“Baker’s Main Street Furniture is a family-owned discount furniture, bedroom, living room, dining room, office, and home accents store based in Garland, TX. Since 1923, Baker’s Main Street Furniture has served customers in Garland, Dallas, Plano, Rowlett, Wylie, Sachse, Rockwall, Mesquite, Allen, Richardson, and Frisco,” the company shared on its website.
The company has not mentioned its impending closure on its website, which is still taking orders and offering long-term financing through a third-party credit provider.
It did, however, share a press release celebrating its history and mentioning the going-out-of-business sales.
“In 1923, August Marvin ‘A.M.’ Baker founded Baker’s Main Street Furniture as a hardware and general store in Wylie. Nine years later, he relocated the business to Garland, where he expanded into furniture and laid the foundation for what would become a family legacy spanning three generations,” according to the release.
The Baker family renovated the store into the three-story showroom that has become a landmark in historic downtown Garland.
Baker’s Main Street Furniture’s final sale is underway at 524 Main St.
“Deep discounts will be offered on a wide variety of high-quality furniture, mattresses and accessories. Famous name brands include Barcalounger, Best Home Furnishings, Corsicana, Crestview Collection, Legacy Home, Massoud, Mayo, Southerland and Southern Motion. Management encourages early shopping for the best selection,” according to the release.
Furniture chains are facing economic challenges
Just because Baker did not mention the challenging economy does not mean it did not contribute to his company’s closure.
“As 2025 drew to a close, consumers were still wary about making higher-ticket spends. A McKinsey & Co. report from November showed 47% planned to spend less of their discretionary income on furniture in the fourth quarter vs. just 18% who planned to spend more,” Furniture Today reported.
The overall furniture industry has seen a slowdown, and “final mile” delivery company JB Hunt Transport Services has seen a major drop in demand. COO Nick Hobbs doesn’t expect a shift toward big purchases any time this year.
“The end markets in this business remain challenged with demand for big and bulky products still muted, with soft demand for furniture, exercise equipment and appliances,” Hobbs said during his company’s second-quarter earnings call.
A number of other furniture companies have shared similar reports.
“Our industry has been in a bit of a malaise,” La-Z-Boy CEO Melinda Whittington said on a conference call, Investopedia reported. “But if the consumer is overall more strapped because of the broader macroeconomic trends, they will tend to stretch out their furniture purchases.”
