IBM forecasts better months for merchants

Sales of home furnishings in the U.S. are expected to shoot higher in the second quarter, with in-store sales increasing nearly 8 percent to $23.222 billion and online sales increasing 28.4 percent, according to an IBM (NYSE: IBM) analytics-based forecast. Combined in-store and online sales of home furnishings are expected to grow 16.6 percent in the second quarter.

IBM experts cite a number of important factors that could be driving purchases, including “Year of the Dragon” weddings and the trend toward accessorizing living spaces.