NEW YORK— In the HomeWorld Business Home Entertainment Furniture Report survey, more consumers said they had purchased an electric fireplace in a piece of furniture, at 13%, than was the case in the survey a year prior, at 9.8%.
More survey respondents, in fact 74%, said that aesthetics and heating capabilities were equally important than last year as slightly fewer focused on looks and warming as specific preferences.
The fireplace furniture features most avidly sought by consumer respondents to the latest survey were remote control, infrared heating and the ability to mount a flat panel TV on top. Infrared heating and the ability to mount a flat panel TV were slightly more popular versus the 2016 survey while remote control was marginally less popular.
The presence of storage cabinets or display shelves took a significant leap forward, about a six-and-a-half point gain as regards consumer preferences, to 43%. The popularity of time controls, ability to change flame colors or patterns and built-in audio speakers slipped a bit compared to the survey last year.