Eddie Glenn, third-generation owner of Glenn Furniture Co. in Hampton, is trying to absorb increasing costs without raising sticker prices.

But Glenn said he can only keep prices so low and keep the lights on.

“I’m going to try to ride it out for another year or so,” he said, as retirement is just over the horizon. “I just wish more people would buy local — buy their furniture and anything from a brick-and-mortar store to support the local economy.”

Home furnishings are more expensive due to tariffs enacted on imports by the Trump administration. A 25% tariff on upholstered wooden products, including couches, sofas and chairs, went into effect on Oct. 14. It is set to increase to 30% on Jan. 1.

The 8,000-square-foot Glenn Furniture, started in 1957, carries anything and everything to furnish a home.

There have been fewer “lookers” at the Kecoughtan Road store since the tariffs were set in place, Glenn said. And due to that added economic pressure — on top of competing with big-box stores and online retailers — he has seen overall sales drop by about 15%.

The majority of Glenn’s inventory comes directly from the furniture manufacturer Ashley, which imports its items from Vietnam and China, he said. Vietnam and China are the top suppliers of furniture to the U.S., according to the Home Furnishings Association.

“We’re having to pay more for what we’re buying from the manufacturer, and with the economy the way it is, it’s hard to pass that on to the customer,” Glenn said. “So we’re basically paying more and making less on a particular item.”

In addition to the tariff charges, there are also fuel surcharges that cut into the bottom line, he said.

“Furniture, to me, is more of a want, not a need,” Glenn said. “People are struggling to put food on the table, so furniture — in the scheme of things — is usually at the bottom of people’s list of things to buy.”

Sweden-founded Ikea, which has operated a store in Norfolk since 2019, has seen its annual operating profit drop 26%, from roughly $2.6 billion to $2 billion, due to tariffs, according to a Reuters report. Known for its affordable, functional and stylish products, the furniture and home goods retailer has cut prices overall, but the tariffs led to price increases on some U.S. products imported from Europe and China. (Furniture from the European Union is capped at a 15% tax.)

Mia Desaussure, customer service representative at Value City Furniture, said she learned on Nov. 12 that the Newport News store she has worked at since August is closing, but little information was provided to its 12 employees.

“They basically didn’t tell us anything,” she said. “But they did tell us as soon as we sell out of everything, then we’re done.”

The website notifies customers the store is closing. Reuters reported the parent company of Value City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Saturday, citing declining sales and increased costs due to inflation and tariffs.

Desaussure said she was tasked to call customers daily — leading up to the closure announcement — to let them know of order delays and cancellations.

“Most of the items that we have, have wood and all of our wood is coming from overseas,” she said. “So, if someone bought something in October, it wouldn’t be out until March, so we’d just cancel orders.”

It’s a tough time being in business right now, Susan Pilato said. She is the founder and co-owner of Mantra Inspired Furniture, a solid-wood commercial furniture manufacturer based in Norfolk.

“It’s unsettling,” Pilato said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got such a great team here. We’re going to be OK.”

Susan Pilato, founder and co-owner of Mantra Inspired Furniture, a solid-wood commercial furniture manufacturer based in Norfolk. (Courtesy/Mantra Inspired Furniture)

While all of the hardwood used to manufacture Mantra’s pieces is harvested in the U.S. — such as cherry, white oak, walnut and ash — Pilato said the tariffs have driven prices up and created disruption to the industry. She said American foresters and sawmills face closures as they see less and less of their wood exported because of retaliatory tariffs.

“It’s not just about furniture. It’s a broader scope on how tariffs have hurt our industry — design and furniture — as a whole,” Pilato said.

Pilato and Donna Counts also run a sister company, PC&A Business Environments, which serves as a full-service commercial furniture dealership. Pilato said she has never seen increases like she has on the manufacturers’ side, which are passed on to dealerships like PC&A.

“We can only sustain it but so much ourselves because profit margins are thinner,” she said. “It’s a stress all the way around and it’s been the most disruptive environment I have ever seen in my entire career in many ways.”

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/28/hampton-roads-furniture-stores-tariffs/