Canada's furniture store segment is currently dominated by just three players: Leon's Furniture, IKEA Canada and Groupe BMTC. In 2013, they accounted for 47.2% of all furniture store sales in this country and enjoyed a collective year-over-year growth rate of 4.8%, which is far greater than that enjoyed by any other furniture store in Canada. Their combined sales totalled $4.58 billion.

To understand their influence in - and perhaps even over - the marketplace, consider these three facts: first, in 2003 the Top Ten furniture stores in Canada accounted for about 53% of the market (all three were members of this group that year). Second, total furniture store sales were $9.70 billion in 2013 - after the top three players took their share, the rest was divided among the remaining 3,000-plus stores fronts from coast-to-coast-to-cast. Three, the Top Three conventional furniture stores in the United States - as determined by Furniture Today - only accounted for about 14% of the market south of the border in 2013.

Granted there are significant differences between the Canadian and U.S. furniture store segments (for example, both Leon's and BMTC are major players in the major appliance market and there are very few large American furniture retailers flooring a comparable product mix). Setting those differences aside, it is not unreasonable to suggest these three players have considerably greater influence in the Canadian market that the Top Three do in the U.S. market.

In the overall retail marketplace, Canada shares many of the same names as can be found in the U.S. The best examples are probably Walmart, Costco, Target, Home Depot, and Lowes - all of which have become retail powerhouses on both sides of the border and all of whom are relatively large players in the furniture, mattress and major appliance markets.

However, the differences between the big ticket retailing scene in Canada and the United States can be quite startling. For example, the largest furniture retailer south of the border is Ashley Furniture Home Stores. In Canada, they are a relatively minor player with about 34 stores in seven provinces and the Yukon. Looking down Furniture Today's Top 100 list, there is only a handful operating stores in Canada. In addition to Ashley, the most notable names are La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, Pier One and Crate & Barrel.

And, there is only one retailer who is a major big ticket home goods power on both sides of the border: IKEA.

Collectively, the Top Three saw a sales increase of 4.8% in 2013 over the estimated $4.37 billion in revenue generated in 2012. Market share jumped from 45.8% to the aforementioned 47.2%. Between them, they operated some 358 stores in every province of Canada under 14 different banners.