Are you looking for the answer to can you negotiate furniture prices? Kindly go through this article to find out the stores and ways to negotiate furniture prices.
Table of Contents
Let me answer your question about whether you can negotiate furniture prices right at the top: Yes, you can negotiate, but you have to understand how to do it.
My Story
I recently bought my very first apartment and was super excited to furnish it by myself. However, when I started looking out for the perfect furniture to decorate my house, I was disappointed. The cost of the furniture and the money that I would have to put in to furnish the apartment, even according to my simple lifestyle, was huge!. The smallest of pieces would cost me a fortune. And no wonder; did you know how much money the big furniture companies make every year? They managed to rake in 116 billion USD of sales in the year 2018.
Then I took to the internet to find cheaper options for what I needed, but no luck there either! I was disappointed; I was browsing the internet when I came across some Reddit threads discussing how people had negotiated for furniture at the big furniture retail. The threads were very informative about how much extra the furniture companies label their products and expect bargaining and negotiation from the customer’s side.
Their sale section contains furniture that is either labelled original price that was overpriced and still manages to make at least 40% profit on the pieces. 40% profit is fine; I get it; they too have to earn a living, but they cannot scam unaware customers by charging an 80% margin on a piece of furniture!
Since I am not good at bargaining and negotiating, I scoured the internet to get some tips on negotiating. In my research, I did come across some good ideas to follow while furniture hunting and also some facts that convinced me that it is worth the time and energy to negotiate for furniture. I took the market, and lo and behold – the ideas worked!
So here are some of the tricks that I used and things to keep in mind before going furniture shopping. This article also contains the list of furniture stores that are open to negotiation and other offers. Let’s get started, shall we?
#1 Factors to consider while negotiating
Whether or not you can negotiate for furniture would depend on the type of store you are at, what furniture season it is now, if it’s a clearance section, a sale going on, and how skilled you are at bargaining.
#1 Start with Research
The key to any good furniture shopping trip is to go prepared and search for items you would want and the prices and offers available on the item. This would also help you negotiate well, as you already know what the price should be.
The stores often put the item on sale on their websites before they put it in their store. I know everyone’s a little skeptical about buying furniture online, as you cannot see the dimensions and colors in the pictures.
What you can do in this case is check the price online first and then go to the store and see the item physically and check the price. Searching online gives you easy access to multiple retailers at the click of a button so that you can compare prices sitting right at home.
Secondly, online sites can have extra discounts sometimes, especially if you are already a member (Prime Day, anyone?).
Who knows? Your research could help you get a discount before anyone else, or if they deny lowering the price, order online, as you already saw the item.
#2 Call beforehand at Stores
This is a necessary step if you do not have time to walk around and compare prices or if you are indecisive. If you know exactly what you want, making a few calls to the stores would not hurt. That way, you would know if they have a product you want and then plan your trips to the stores that offer and compare prices.
#3 Check for a Scratch-And-Dent Section
It’s always a wise decision to check the scratch-and-dent section of the store if they have one. Unsold or returned furniture in working condition is still furniture, and most of the time, you can repair the furniture with the right shade of paint or a small handiwork job.
A friend of mine recently bought a nice table he had his eye on for almost one-third the price, and all it had was a minor scratch on the leg that we fixed pretty quickly.
Remember, these items are usually placed at the back of the store (they try to hide them as much as possible!), so head on straight to the back and check out items there first before going to the main sections.
You would have to check for the quality and durability for yourself. If you are aware of the sale, then arriving early, waiting a few days for the price to drop a little more are few wise steps to take.
#4 Time It Right: Wait For Clearance Sales
Right time means to know when the furniture store is getting new stock. Most stores get new furniture twice a year, once around spring and then again around fall. The month after the new stock arrives, stores will organize clearance sales to clear space for new arrivals.
February and August are suitable months to buy furniture. February is especially good because of other holidays such as Valentine’s Day and President’s day. Most stores will have great discounts during these two months on their products.
Take advantage of these sales and try out your bargaining skills, and you can get a good deal on almost all new pieces. Remember, the stores that are open to discounts are also open to negotiation.
#5 Get Quality Assurance
Ensure they do not cut you in terms of written warranty and return policy while negotiating. Any good store will stand by their product if it’s good quality. Ensure that the material is as advertised; they might scam you with plywood coated with cherry smell varnish rather than cherry wood itself. Check if they send you replacement pieces if the product gets damaged during delivery.
#6 Use Coupons and Membership Points
If you can plan your furniture requirements a few months in advance, I would suggest getting a membership to each of the stores you want to buy. Typically membership is free, and you can keep buying small stuff that you need to add up points.
On the other hand, coupons can get you discounts on even the discounted products. I remember my mom used to cut out coupons from her weekly magazines for things that she planned to buy a year out! Today, most coupons work better online. Just check out the latest coupons from sites like retailmenot and coupons.com.
#7 Simply Ask for Discounts
The logic behind this is it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Speaking from experience, I got a solid 30% off on my coffee table by just asking. This happens because they do not put the discount label on everything so that unsuspecting buyers will pay full price. If you ask at the counter, they will tell you what is discounted, and a little negotiating will help you increase the price difference.
#8 Buy Local
This is a fact, anything at the local store is more trustworthy, and you can get a good bargain if you know the owner. Another advantage is that you don’t have to deal with inexperienced salesmen of big retail who might be under-informed or unaware of the quality and the range of discounts they can get you. Most sales guys at local stores can easily get you talking with the owners. No salesperson would be wasting your time while running to the manager to discuss the discount.
#2 Tips for negotiating
#1 Check Multiple Stores And Online
Everyone already knows that the most effective way to bargain is to tell one store that the same or similar product is available in the other store for the same price. Many stores offer you a price match with competitors such as La-Z-Boy and Ashley’s. Macy’s and Rooms To Go will give you the difference in price if they put their products on sale in the next 30-days, so keep a lookout for prices even after buying.
Sometimes, you can even find the same product with a better deal in the store next to the expensive one. Some stores even challenge you to find the product at a lower price than their store, and they will give the discount to you.
#2 Go Mentally Prepared
If you plan to negotiate with a furniture store, it will take you a good amount of time and energy. Plan your time and go on the days when you don’t have other plans other than furniture shopping. Avoid fights while negotiating; if they are stubborn, many other options will fit your budget and needs.
#3 Brush up on Bargaining Skills
Bargain smart and reasonable so that they do not deny your bargains straight. Go small steps and ask for small discounts first. Be careful not to go as low as 5%. Be smart and start with natural 30-40% to get around 20% or even what you asked for.
#4 Go for stores offering sales and discounts
The logic behind this is to understand that they are probably open to bargain if the stores are open to discounts. Avoid going to stores that have a fixed price board on the entrance. Again, your local stores can get you a night deal with it as there are not many pieces that have labels on them. Even if the labels are there, they are decided by the owner itself.
This leads us to the next section that answers whether or not you can negotiate at your favorite furniture stores like Ashley’s, Macy’s, Rooms to go, and La-Z-Boy.
#3 Stores open to negotiation
#1 Can you Negotiate Furniture Prices at Ashley’s
So many customers don’t even try to ask for discounts at Ashley’s, because they think it’s such an expensive store. Ashley’s are open for negotiation. Their products are available online at cheaper prices, and they even offer a price match policy.
#2 Can you Negotiate Furniture Prices at La-Z-Boy
Yes, La-Z-Boy allows negotiating the prices at most of the stores. They also hire commissioned salespeople, so remember they will always try to convince you to buy sets and get an extended warranty so that they can raise their commission.
#3 Can you Negotiate Furniture Prices at Macy’s
I am not sure about all the stores, but most of the Macy’s stores are open to negotiation; if not, maybe asking to talk to the manager can get you some discount. They offer a price adjustment policy too.
#4 Can you Negotiate Furniture Prices at Rooms to go
Rooms to go are open to negotiating if you ask. They often have sales going on on their online store. They made an app as well to make furniture shopping even easier and convenient. That’s not all; they even have a separate app that provides you with coupons for extra discounts, named the Rooms To Go Coupon app.
Final Words
I hope this article helped and encouraged you enough to stop rethinking to replace your furniture and start negotiating for what furniture you want. Let us recall again why we should negotiate, the price labels on furniture are decided by the company or the shop owners, and they even price it up to 80% more than the original value. If you brush up on your bargaining skills, you can get your favorite furniture in your budget. It would take you some small arguments, but it’s worth it at the end of the day.
Let us know if you used these tips while furniture shopping or any negotiating tips or anecdotes. We would love to hear those in the comment section, and please share this article with someone in need.