HomePage News Top 50 Housewares Retailers of 2025

In 2025, value became an important factor in the success of operators in the HomePage News Top 50 Housewares Retailers, but what that meant to consumers became increasingly diverse, even as the ways consumers shop continued to diverge.

The Top 50 housewares retailers in the United States — as measured by market research and advisory firm Circana’s Checkout Omnisales Tracking for HomePage News — went through a lot in 2025.  They came up against external factors, including inflation and tariffs, and internal factors, with companies such as Joann closing shop and others, including Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenney and QVC, reconfiguring operations to meet challenges and seize opportunities.

Still, in many ways, external events had the most impact on the year and the biggest housewares retailers. In 2025, consumers suffering through a multi-year bout of inflation became even more thoughtful about spending. The consequences of that played out across the Top 50 in the gains made by off-price retailers and dollar stores.

Inflation influenced shoppers’ turn to value retailers for their housewares and home furnishings purchases.

However, inflation isn’t the only influence on consumers as they make purchasing decisions in the marketplace. Higher costs and structural changes in retail are reconfiguring how consumers approach shopping. As things have developed, consumers have a wider range of choices on where and how they shop. The pressure of inflation on household finances, even among relatively affluent consumers, has made a greater range of choice more attractive for many.

Joe Derochowski, home industry advisor at Circana, said households making $100,000 or more and consumers 55 and older are generating most housewares growth.

Although they’ve traditionally been likely to shop upscale retailers, and in some cases still do, households earning $100,000 and more have proven willing to review alternatives. Among the retailers that have noted gains with affluent shoppers, Walmart, during its fourth-quarter conference call in February, observed that higher-income consumers dealing with economic uncertainty and inflation were rethinking how they spend money just like everyone else.

“In the U.S., we see the customer is choiceful in their spending,” said John Furner, Walmart president and CEO. “Again, this quarter, the majority of our share gains came from households making more than $100,000.”

Other consumers aren’t necessarily cutting spending to the bone. Many are focusing on essentials, although the definition can be relatively broad when it comes to money spent on household products. Even if they aren’t bound to dig for the lowest price point, consumers have become increasingly selective in how they allocate money. The value consumers put on things isn’t strictly about price. It is also about what is personally essential for supporting their lifestyles. In housewares and home product purchasing, certain trends are having a significant influence.

“Drivers are replacement, eating at home, entertaining at home, and health and wellness,” Circana’s Derochowski said.

Standing Out

In the home goods sector, Derochowski said innovation can be a beacon for consumers navigating the shopping journey. Amid macroeconomic circumstances, especially shifting tariff regimes in the United States, innovation has been challenging as home and housewares producers scramble to navigate a volatile, margin-pressuring business climate. Yet, consumers will factor innovation into their price/value equation, even at some additional cost, when it makes a difference to their lives at home, observers agree.

For a while now, lifestyles have become more centered on the household. Eating and entertaining at home have gained prominence, which has benefited the home and housewares sector. Although perhaps not as urgent as during and just after the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers looking to bolster their lifestyles are seeking products that elevate home meals and entertaining.

In effect, Derochowski said, consumers are apt to look for the best products they can afford in the present circumstances.

Where they look, however, also depends upon what’s most important to them relative to what they have to spend. So, even while off-price retailers had good results in the current version of the HomePage News Top 50 ranking, department stores did well, too, likely getting a boost for their depth of assortment in entertaining categories.

Where and how consumers shop now is not consistent with the trade-up or trade-down formulas applied to past challenging economic circumstances. As it stands, consumers are making finer judgments about many, if not most, purchases based not only on what the retail sector offers but also on their own definitions of value. Given that the homewares sector has entered a post-COVID housewares replacement cycle, consumers might look for some goods that are less expensive or at the same prices as what they purchased five years ago, this time with features that suit them better. It also means they will spend more if a replacement product delivers some distinguishing innovation. In some cases, that can prompt consumers to up-spend on a product they find themselves using frequently that has added or upgraded features they find attractive.

Circana’s Derochowski said consumers will replace products that suit their priorities, such as making everyday and entertaining occasions more satisfying, while perhaps deciding not to replace something they wound up using infrequently or settling on a less expensive version sufficient for their occasional use.

As it has advanced year over year, the HomePage News Top 50 Retailers ranking — based on 2025 housewares and small appliance sales data by Circana Omnisales Tracking —provides some evidence as to which retailers consumers are favoring as they execute against their personal priorities. For instance, HomeGoods has advanced to number 10 in the Top 50 and tucks in just below its TJX sibling, T.J. Maxx, which stood pat at number nine in the latest ranking. Looking back at the Top 10 for 2023, HomeGoods stood at number 12, and it was ranked at 4 the year before that. Of course, developments including the bankruptcies of such retailers as Bed Bath & Beyond and Tuesday Morning helped pave the way for HomeGoods’ ascension, but the off-price home division of TJX has gained in the presence of rivals such as Amazon and Walmart, as well as a number of rising off-price competitors.

As consumers replace items bought several years ago, they also have a growing interest in health and wellness. Consumers are searching for products that enhance well-being and provide a sense of calm. Products associated with those concerns are seeing accelerated demand and getting more attention across the retail spectrum, as seen in sales of everything from personal aromatherapy products to home environment devices that improve the quality of home living spaces.

In the HomePage News Top 50, consider how CVS and Walgreens have remained vital despite some challenges that have led to reorganized corporate structures, trimmed healthcare operations, and some closed stores, as one of the former big three in the channel, Rite Aid, liquidated. Yet, the relative strength of the top two drug chains in the HomePage News Top 50 attests to their important role in delivering health and wellness products.

On the List

Year over year, the leaders among the HomePage News Top 50 Housewares Retailers in the United States have remained solid, for the most part. This has resulted in no change in rankings from one to nine, with the notable elevation of HomeGoods to number 10. HomeGoods gained while its siblings T.J. Maxx persisted in the number nine slot and Marshalls held steady at 15. Among other off-pricers, Ross Dress for Less climbed two positions to 12, one behind Dollar General, which came in at 12 in last year’s Top 50 ranking. Kohl’s, which ranked 10 in the previous year’s list, dropped to 13.

The top two retailers among the Top 50, Amazon and Walmart, retained their dominant position. Behind them are Target, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Best Buy; Sam’s Club maintained its station in that order, even though some posted mixed results as reported in financial disclosures during the year.

The top 10 houseware retailers for 2025 reflect the fact that many consumers reexamined their value equations in favor of retailers that can deliver the best price on a given item, plus the reality that the biggest retailers have promotional capabilities they can use to target consumer purchasing according to trends and preferences.

Consumer research on the subject demonstrates housewares shoppers have been capitalizing on promotional events to get breaks on new and/or replacement products that they have delayed buying, and to jump on discounted everyday necessities.

Even with that, retailers with a consistent value message have thrived. Another off-pricer on the move is Burlington Stores, which jumped from the 24th to the 20th slot from last year’s Top 50 ranking, while Ollie’s Bargain Outlet climbed from 35 to 31. In another sign that value retailers have gained popularity with homewares consumers, Woot, a daily deal e-tailer that’s part of Amazon, rose to 43 from 49 year over year.

Although their performance was not as consistent, most dollar stores gained. As noted, Dollar General moved up a spot in the latest ranking, putting it just outside the top 10, as Dollar Tree moved from 16th to 14th position. Family Dollar, recently spun off from Dollar Tree, slipped two positions to 25. Five Below held steady at 46.

In the broad measure, mass marketers and mid-tier operators failed to make notable gains. JCPenney, for example, slipped to 38 from 36. As for warehouse clubs, Costco and Sam’s Club, as previously related, held steady in the Top 50 list this year, as did BJ’s Warehouse Club, coming in at 28.

In the department store sector, Macy’s came in at 17th in the latest ranking, up from 18th last year. Beall’s made a significant advance to 39 from 44. In the meantime, Boscov’s landed in the final slot on this 2025 ranking list after missing the Top 50 for 2024.

When it comes to digital operators, Wayfair gained a slot, rising to 40th on the new list, and, as mentioned, Woot advanced from number 49 to 43.

Meanwhile, The Pampered Chef made a comeback, landing at number 22 on the list this year. Multi-channel QVC, which has suffered some financial hardship and filed for Chapter 11 in 2026, came in at number 21 on the 2025 list, down from 19 in 2024, as sibling HSN landed at 45 in the latest ranking, down from 42 a year ago.

The drug chain sector was shaken up by the liquidation of Rite Aid. In this year’s Top 50, CVS held steady at 29 while Walgreens gained a point to 16.

Home Centers have struggled a bit over the past few years, as inflation and high interest rates dampened consumer enthusiasm for big-ticket discretionary purchases. Still, as Home Depot and Lowe’s held their Top 50 positions, Menards advanced from the 21st slot in the previous ranking to 19. Harbor Freight Tools arrived at the 35th slot, one above Ace Hardware and five above its place in the year prior. Ace slipped to 36 this year from 33.

Meijer fell two positions to 24 while fellow supercenter operator Fred Meyer fell off the list after just making it at number 50 in the year before. Fred Meyer parent Kroger listed at 26 in the latest HomePage News Top 50 after coming in at 25 previously, while its fellow supermarket operator H-E-B fell to 27 from 26 in the year-prior report.

Among more specialized home retailers, Ikea moved up one slot in the latest report to 30, and Williams-Sonoma moved down two to 34. Crate & Barrel made a significant move up to 33 from 48. On the other hand, At Home, which endured a stint in bankruptcy during 2025, fell to the 42nd position this year from 34th. Sur La Table tumbled to 48 from 37.

The beauty sector, which had been advancing consistently in recent years, has experienced lesser gains of late, and Ulta Beauty slipped to 23rd in the latest rankings from 20th a year earlier.

Sporting goods purveyors can be significant housewares players even if sometimes overlooked. Dick’s dropped in the rankings, down to 18 in the latest report from 13 a year ago. Academy Sports slipped two positions to 32, and Sheels took a step up to 44 from 45. Outfitter REI stumbled slightly to 49 from 47 year over year.

Although subject to a liquidation process during 2025, JoAnn registered at number 47 in the latest Top 50 ranking measuring 2025 housewares sales, down from 43. Michaels, which purchased Joann’s IP out of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings, took the number 37 in this year’s ranking after sliding in at 38 a year earlier.

Big Lots, purchased out of bankruptcy in a reduced form by a Variety Wholesalers, fell off the list in this report after landing at number 27 a year earlier.