I used to work for a furniture store, and they paid very close attention to new housing starts, because our sales would go up as the housing did. People who move into a new house usually are moving into a larger one (except for empty nest folks) and usually need furniture for an additional room (dining room, formal living room, extra bedroom, etc.) PLUS in a new house they often don't like their older furniture and want to replace it.
If you think about it, every time you move, even if you don't buy furniture, you end up buying new shower curtains, wastebaskets, shelf paper, etc. New homes, however, usually call out for larger ticket items...PLUS all new homes have new appliances!