A weekly read on the home furnishings business — tariffs, freight, fuel, mortgage rates and how AI is changing the way shoppers find a store. Written for retailers, with an action attached to every number.
Canada's counter-tariff list is published and furniture is in the top band. 874 tariff items, roughly $27.6 billion of US goods, rates of 15/25/50% mirroring ours — and HS Chapter 94…
Read this issueThe Canada 50% tariff is live. It was paused three days, then landed 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday Aug 22 when talks ended. Canada answers dollar-for-dollar Sept 8 — 15 days out.
Read this issue50% tariff on Canadian furniture hits Wednesday 8/19. Hidden in the motor-vehicles proclamation, HTS 9903.03.14. USMCA doesn't exempt it. Duty stacks. That's the lead.
Read this issueLast week fuel spiked and freight cooled. This week the whiplash reversed on itself: Brent fell ~7% on hopes of a Hormuz reopening, while ocean freight quietly rebounded — the fourth flip…
Read this issueTwo weeks ago the Iran pause pulled gas down to $3.30 overnight. It didn't hold. Fresh Hormuz tanker attacks sent Brent to $90 and gas back over $4 — while freight quietly went the other…
Read this issueHFA B1050: "AI-Ready or Left Behind." Fewer than 1 in 3 searches end in a click. AI shoppers convert 80% better. Five-step playbook: schema audit, metafields, Catalog Mapping, Agentic…
Read this issueLast week the cost picture split in two — fuel falling, freight rising. This week it converged the wrong way: both are climbing, and the tariff clock is now inside two weeks.
Read this issueThe cost picture split in two this week: fuel is falling, freight is spiking. Both matter to your margins — here's how to read it.
Read this issueActually seeing a path to Furniture Sales Growth. 6.7% Furniture Sales Increase Projected through the rest of 2026.
Read this issueThe Iran MOU was electronically signed June 17 — a 60-day ceasefire extension with Hormuz reopening for commercial shipping. But the June 19 ceremony at Bürgenstock was called off at the…
Read this issueHistoric week. The US-Iran peace deal was announced today — Trump says it's "now complete," signing ceremony June 19 in Switzerland. Naval blockade ending, Strait of Hormuz reopening,…
Read this issueBig week for the industry — and for DOVR. Furniture First's newly rebranded "Ignite" conference (June 1–3, Arlington TX) brought energy and momentum, with DOVR on the Minute on the Mic…
Read this issueThe 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed the House 396-13 on May 20 — the most significant housing legislation in a generation. It bans institutional investors from buying additional…
Read this issueThis is the biggest AI search week in history. Google I/O (May 20–21) rebuilt Search around AI. Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model in AI Mode — 1 billion monthly users, queries…
Read this issueIran talks collapsed, gas at $4.54 — Oil spiked to $107 Brent, Hormuz traffic still down 95%, and the risk premium is now structural. Update delivery pricing and model $5+ gas scenarios.
Read this issueA US-Iran deal may be close. Trump halted military escorts through Hormuz, citing progress on a 14-point framework. Oil dropped 15% on the news — then spiked back on fresh clashes. Gas is…
Read this issueGas hit $4.44 per gallon — up 30 cents in a single week. Strait of Hormuz still closed. Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal. Oil at $102–108. Sub-$3 gas not expected until 2027.
Read this issueIEEPA refund portal is live. Up to $127B eligible. File now — refunds in 60–90 days.
Read this issueThe IEEPA tariff refund portal goes live today. CBP launched the CAPE system at 8am EST — up to $127 billion in refunds are now eligible in Phase 1. If you imported anything while IEEPA…
Read this issueDOVR Retailer Intelligence — 7-Day Lookback · April 13, 2026
Read this issueGas just hit $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022. Diesel is up 45% since the Iran conflict started. That's going to show up in your shipping costs, your suppliers' costs, and…
Read this issueShopify flipped the switch this week. As of March 24, every Shopify store is now discoverable inside ChatGPT by default — no opt-in required. AI-driven traffic to Shopify is up 7x and…
Read this issueThe tariff picture got more complicated this week. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced Section 122 tariffs will rise to 15% — the implementation date isn't confirmed yet, but it's coming.…
Read this issueThe Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs — up to $175B in refunds are on the table. If you imported under IEEPA authority in the last 18 months, call your customs broker this week.…
Read this issueA lot moving this week across ecommerce, retail, and home design communities. Here's what's worth your attention right now.
Read this issueField Notes readers get the numbers that move furniture retail, every week.
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