Forshaw

What Forshaw does

Forshaw is a St. Louis-based specialty retailer operating under the legal name Forshaw of St. Louis, selling luxury outdoor living products through two physical showrooms (Frontenac and Ellisville) and a national e-commerce storefront at forshaws.com. Founded in 1871, the company has sold patio furniture since the 1950s and today offers a comprehensive assortment spanning complete dining and seating sets, firepits, grills, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and gas logs, patio umbrellas and shade products, replacement cushions, protective covers, and—more recently—windows, doors, and indoor furniture. It carries premium third-party brands such as Hanamint, Winston, Woodard, Homecrest, Summer Classics, Polywood, and Brown Jordan, alongside its own Forshaw Signature Collection sub-brand. Target customers are affluent residential homeowners and outdoor-entertaining consumers seeking durable, weather-resistant products suited to the St. Louis climate, with customization available through hundreds of Sunbrella fabric options.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales, with pricing varying widely by category: outdoor dining sets from approximately $515 to $18,725, seating sets from $999 to $17,158, and firepits from $99 to $9,899. A supplementary services layer—white-glove local delivery in St. Louis, installation for grills and fireplaces, chimney sweeping, and fireplace servicing—adds recurring touchpoints. Sales are driven by an experienced in-store sales force (averaging 10+ years tenure), live chat, and phone-based guidance, supported by a deep inventory of 250+ in-stock furniture sets with new arrivals weekly and national shipping across the USA.

Forshaw is privately held and family-owned, with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or public-market presence. The company maintains no documented AI, software platform, or proprietary technology stack beyond standard e-commerce and live-chat functionality, and there is no evidence of patents, awards, or formal external partnerships. Operating geographies are concentrated in the Midwest with national reach via online shipping.

Name

Forshaw

Legal name

Forshaw of St. Louis

Website

https://forshaws.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Forshaw is a St. Louis-based specialty retailer founded in 1871, selling luxury outdoor furniture, grills, fireplaces, umbrellas, and adjacent home products through two showrooms and national e-commerce. The privately held family business targets affluent homeowners seeking premium, weather-resistant outdoor living solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Furniture Retail

SIC

Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Furniture & Shelter Systems (Tents, Tarps, Hammocks) Retail (CRAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Outdoor furniture retail
• Patio furniture sales
• Grills and fireplaces
• Outdoor kitchen equipment
• Luxury patio products

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Outdoor furniture and patio product sales: Forshaw generates revenue primarily through the sale of outdoor furniture, including complete dining sets, seating sets, and individual furniture pieces, as well as outdoor accessories such as umbrellas, firepits, and protective covers. Products are sold as both complete sets and individual pieces.
2. Grills and outdoor kitchen product sales: Revenue is generated from the sale of grills (propane, natural gas, charcoal, pellet), outdoor kitchen components (doors, drawers, refrigerators, countertops, pizza ovens), and grill accessories. Products range from freestanding grills to complete outdoor kitchen installations.
3. Fireplace and heating product sales: Sales of fireplaces (gas, woodburning, electric), gas logs (vented and vent-free), inserts, stoves, and outdoor heating products including patio heaters.
4. Delivery and installation services: The company offers white-glove delivery locally in St. Louis, and installation services for grills and fireplaces, providing a service revenue stream alongside product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forshaw is a specialty retailer that sells luxury outdoor furniture (dining sets, seating sets, firepits, chaise lounges, replacement cushions, and protective covers) along with grills, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, gas logs, and patio umbrellas and shade products. The company fulfills these offerings through two St. Louis showrooms, an e-commerce storefront, and supporting white-glove delivery, installation, and chimney sweep services.

Product overview

Forshaw is a luxury outdoor furniture and outdoor living products retailer offering a comprehensive portfolio of high-end products. The core offering centers on outdoor furniture across multiple materials (teak, aluminum, wicker, resin, cast aluminum, IPE wood, sling) organized into dining sets, seating sets, and individual pieces. Related product lines include outdoor firepits, patio umbrellas and shade solutions, grills and outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and gas logs, and replacement cushions and protective covers. Forshaw also offers windows and doors, and operates a proprietary Forshaw Signature sub-brand. The company provides both in-store shopping and online ordering with delivery services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Dining Sets Complete luxury outdoor dining groups available in materials including aluminum, teak, wicker, cast aluminum, HDPE resin, and wrought iron, priced from $515 to over $18,000. Designed for affluent residential customers building or upgrading patio dining areas.
• Outdoor Seating Sets Complete outdoor seating collections including sectionals, sofa and lounge chair sets, and loveseat and lounge chair sets in aluminum, wicker, teak, resin, rope, and combination materials, priced from $999 to over $17,000.
• Outdoor Firepits High-end outdoor firepits, fire tables, and firebowls in cast aluminum, concrete, and iron finishes, available in wood-burning, propane, and natural gas configurations, priced from $99 to nearly $10,000.
• Grills & Outdoor Kitchens Propane, natural gas, charcoal, and pellet grills plus outdoor kitchen components including doors, drawers, refrigerators, countertops, pizza ovens, vent hoods, and complete Exterus outdoor kitchen structures, sold as freestanding units or full kitchen installations.
• Fireplaces, Logs & Mantels Gas, woodburning, and electric fireplaces; vented and vent-free gas logs; gas inserts; pellet inserts and stoves; woodburning stoves; and wood mantels for indoor and outdoor residential fireplace installations.
• Patio Umbrellas and Shade Products Luxury patio umbrellas in 7.5', 9', and 11' sizes, cantilever and rectangular umbrellas, specialty umbrellas from Treasure Garden and Tuuci, plus outdoor rugs, outdoor fans, motorized aluminum patio covers, retractable awnings, and aluminum pergolas.
• Replacement Outdoor Cushions Top-quality replacement cushions using solution-dyed acrylic Sunbrella fabrics that are bleach-cleanable and fade-resistant, custom configurable in hundreds of fabric options for existing outdoor furniture.
• Protective Furniture Covers Weather-resistant protective covers for firepits, tables, chairs, umbrellas, and other outdoor furniture items, priced from $18 to $235, designed for St. Louis weather conditions.
• Forshaw Signature Collection Proprietary exclusive sub-brand of curated luxury outdoor furniture available only through Forshaw, representing the company's house selection of premium outdoor pieces.
• Windows & Doors Residential windows and doors organized by type, material, and collection, available as part of Forshaw's home product assortment.
• White-Glove Delivery and Installation Services Fast white-glove local delivery in the St. Louis metropolitan area plus professional installation services for grills and fireplaces, offered as add-on services to product purchases.
• Chimney Sweep and Fireplace Service Chimney sweeping, fireplace servicing, and full installation support for new fireplace projects, provided as a specialized service offering alongside fireplace product sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales team members average over 10 years of experience with the company
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Frontgate: Frontgate is a luxury outdoor furniture and home goods retailer offering premium patio sets, grills, and outdoor living products via catalog and e-commerce. Most comparable to Forshaw in product mix (high-end outdoor dining/seating sets), target customer (affluent homeowners), and curated premium brand assortment.
• RH (Restoration Hardware): RH is a luxury home furnishings brand with a significant outdoor furniture business (RH Outdoor) featuring premium teak, aluminum, and wicker collections. Directly comparable to Forshaw in luxury positioning, complete outdoor room offerings, and white-glove service model, though at much larger national scale with galleries in major cities.
• Arhaus: Arhaus is a premium home furnishings retailer with showrooms offering indoor and outdoor furniture collections. Comparable to Forshaw in curated premium positioning, showroom-based consultative sales model, and broad product range across materials (teak, metal, performance fabric).
• Patio Productions: Patio Productions is a regional outdoor furniture retailer with showrooms on the West Coast, carrying premium brands like Sunset West, Tropitone, and Brown Jordan. Closely comparable to Forshaw in business model (showroom + e-commerce), product mix (luxury outdoor dining/seating), and target customer (affluent homeowners).

Emerging players

• Outer: Outer is a direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture brand founded in 2018, focusing on weatherproof performance fabric sofas and dining sets. Comparable product category to Forshaw's outdoor seating and dining lines, but with a digital-native, venture-backed model rather than regional showroom heritage.

Broad incumbents

• Williams-Sonoma (Pottery Barn, West Elm): Williams-Sonoma operates multiple premium home brands (Pottery Barn, West Elm) with significant outdoor furniture collections. Comparable in premium positioning and outdoor category breadth, but as a much larger multi-brand retailer with national showroom and e-commerce scale that dwarfs Forshaw's regional footprint.
• Crate & Barrel (CB2): Crate & Barrel is a national premium home furnishings retailer with showrooms and outdoor furniture collections. Comparable product categories (outdoor dining, seating, umbrellas) and customer demographic, though positioned slightly below Forshaw's luxury tier and operating at much larger national scale.
• Wayfair: Wayfair is the largest U.S. online home goods retailer with an extensive outdoor furniture category including the same premium brands (Polywood, Sunbrella products) carried by Forshaw. Competes with Forshaw on price, selection, and convenience for customers willing to buy furniture without an in-store experience.
• Hayneedle (Wayfair brand): Hayneedle is an online home and outdoor furniture retailer now operated as a Wayfair brand, historically focused on outdoor living products including grills, fireplaces, patio furniture, and shade. Comparable category overlap with Forshaw's full outdoor living assortment, but pure e-commerce model without the showroom service layer.
• Costco / Sam's Club (outdoor category): Mass-market warehouse clubs carry seasonal outdoor furniture (Agio, Polywood) at aggressive price points, competing with Forshaw on value-tier patio sets. Not a direct competitor in luxury outdoor, but they occupy the entry-level end of the same purchase occasion and may pressure Forshaw's lower-priced offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forshawofstl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forshaw-of-st-louis-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forshaw