Best Times to Buy Furniture

Furniture purchases are usually stimulated by some type of life experience. Buying or selling a home, getting married, job promotions, births, holidays, moving, and college are just a few of the more common events leading to purchasing furniture. One of the major keys to saving money and maximizing your furniture shopping dollars will rest in your ability to plan and anticipate these purchases ahead of time.

The furniture industry is made up of 1000's retailers and manufacturers with a variety of selling strategies. The advertising is intense and the promotions can be overwhelming. Clear thinking and an understanding of the typical cycles of the furniture industry will help you to make better purchasing decisions and save some serious money in the furniture shopping process.

Furniture that Offers Better Values at Different Times of the Year

• Living room furniture is generally a staple of most furniture stores. Sofas and love seats are usually promoted on a consistent basis with no relative regard to the time of the year. However, look for the best values in sleeper sofas in the fall when you are preparing for guests.
• Recliners and chairs will see significant sales activity in May and June. The advent of Mothers Day and Fathers Day will bring a flurry of advertising and special purchases. These products in general serve as pricing tools to bring traffic into furniture stores. And therefore, are often incredible bargains.
• Dining room furniture becomes extremely visible and highly promoted around the late October and early November. The much anticipated holiday season will bring sales and promotions on dining rooms and dinette sets. Most retailers will begin to build inventory early in the spring. Look for sales that promote complete sets and free extras such as arm chairs, servers and china cabinets. Keep in mind to compare prices though, some of these free extras may not always be such a bargain.
• Bedroom furniture is generally one of the last furniture categories people add to their home. The more visible areas of the home usually get priority attention. This same quality carries through with the furniture stores. Therefore, you can expect stronger values and sales promotions around the holidays.
• Office furniture will be heavily advertised around tax time and back to school. However, with the continuing growth of home based business and the Internet, it is not uncommon for retailers to use this category to bring traffic into their stores year-round.
• Mattresses sets normally become heavily promoted from late May to the early fall. Many retailers receive significant support from the mattress manufacturers in the form of advertising and special offers. An understanding of what type of mattress would be best for you along with good research of brand names can provide a fantastic opportunity for getting a great deal.

Heavily Advertised Holiday Furniture Sales

Most furniture retailers alter their promotion and advertising schedules to fit the needs of the consumer. Holidays represent a shrinking time that people have to get out and shop. The competition between all retailers is intense. Holiday periods are some of the best times to shop. Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th, and New Years Day are usually the best. Are the best values out there at Thanksgiving and Christmas? In most cases these are not the very best. These periods are normally times when the retailer has the public as a captive audience because of need and consumers are willing to spend.

Best Furniture Clearance Times of the Year

January and July are generally the best clearance times of the year to buy furniture. Most furniture businesses close out existing items in order to make room for new merchandise, which can provide for some exceptional bargains. Also, many furniture companies may be reducing their inventories for tax purposes during these times of the year.

Furniture Tent Sales

You've probably seen these before where a furniture dealer literally sets up a circus like tent in their parking lot. There is no question that a tent sale can offer some tremendous values on slightly damaged and odd pieces. The retailer uses the tent sale to clear out items that may have been damaged or unable to sell for one reason or another. In most cases there is room for negotiating the price in a tent sale environment. The longer an item sits in the tent the greater your chance of getting a bargain. However, once these items are gone that's usually it - they're gone. Be advised that in most cases tent sale items are sold as-is with no warranty and are nonrefundable. It isn't uncommon to find quality furniture and accessories in perfect condition marked at, or even significantly below, the stores original cost because it wouldn't sell in the store due to its style, color, etc.

Summer Furniture Savings

Most people don't think too much about buying furniture during the summer months. However, if you're looking for a great buy - think summer! Furniture stores are generally slowest during the summer months, making it one of best times to negotiate a great deal on a new furniture purchase.

Furniture Shopping at the End of the Month & Weekdays

Believe it or not, you may actually have a better chance at negotiating a better price close to the end of the month. The reason for this is because furniture store managers normally have specific sales goals they are expected to meet by the end of each month. Therefore, if the numbers are looking low the stores sales staff is usually more motivated to discount if it means getting the sale. Weekdays can also be a good time to negotiate a good price since there is usually less foot traffic than on the weekends. Therefore, weekdays at the end of the month are even better!

Furniture Store Going Out Of Business Sales

Going out of business furniture sales can offer fantastic furniture shopping bargains, however this isn't always the case. Whatever you do, don't get caught up in the atmosphere of the “Big Sale”. Before buying from a going out of business sale ask yourself the following questions:

• Why is this store going out of business?
• What do I do if I have trouble with my bargain?
• What quality am I getting? Just because a store sold quality merchandise does not mean you will always receive the same. Often after selling off the regular inventory, going out of business sales bring in promotional (low quality) goods to enhance the final days and profits of the sale.
• Look for the Law-Label on upholstery and bedding, this is in the middle of the center cushion on most upholstery. If this label is missing on a mattress, it may have had a previous owner.
• Always shop your favorite stores before you go bargain hunting. You just might find the same value or even better with a quality store that will be there for you in the future.

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