Wayfair is well positioned to weather any hits to the housing market, according to William Blair. Analyst Phillip Blee resumed coverage of Wayfair with an outperform rating ahead of the furniture company's second-quarter earnings this week, saying the retailer will do better than its competitors. "Given the increasingly uncertain macro environment and broader slowdown in the housing market, we believe there is risk to our sales and earnings expectations in the back half of 2022.
Blee pointed to an online business model and more affluent customer base that will insulate Wayfair from macro challenges. According to the note, the average Wayfair customer is a 45-year-old woman with a household income of $85,000. Meanwhile, demand for Wayfair's luxury brand Perigold has remained robust. To be sure, the company is dealing with inflation, supply chain issues and challenging comparisons after an early surge in furniture sales during the onset of the pandemic.