Furniture Lead Times Are Back to Normal — With Two Exceptions

Two years of unpredictable delivery dates have largely resolved. Made-to-order upholstery and engineered stone remain the two categories where a quoted date should be treated as an estimate.

Ask for the ship date, not the lead time

Lead times are quoted from order confirmation, which retailers sometimes issue weeks after payment.

Order the slow items first

Sofas and worktops set the schedule for a room. Everything else can be bought once those dates are fixed.

Check the returns window against the delivery date

Long lead times can consume a return period before the item arrives. Confirm the window starts on delivery.