USA (Furniture Today).- U.S. residential furniture factory orders in September were down 3% from the same month in 2009, the first such decline in a year, according to Smith

Leonard. Factory shipments, which tend to lag orders by a few months, were still up 6% from a year ago in September, the accounting and consulting firm said. Monthly orders had been up or at least flat from a year earlier since September 2009, according to Smith Leonard's factory survey. From February through June, they were up at or near double digits. But the gains slowed to 3% in July and 1% in August before the September decline.