No-Money Home Makeover IdeasThere���s no reason to buy new stuff to spiff up your home; you already have everything you need. Read moreThe Ultimate Black Friday SalesPlanning your Black Friday shopping strategy? Here are the 10 stores with the deepest discounts���and chicest offerings. Read moreHow to Buy a BedWalk into a mattress store and you'll be bombarded with options: plush vs.firm, foam vs. Read moreSneaky Little Ways To Save CashPhoto: Steve Mason/Getty Images Turns out the expiration or generally accepted toss-by date on certain products is total BS. We're sorry, we are unable to find the page you are looking for.    See what's new in Clearance and Closeouts or browse popular brands below. Fine Furniture Design >Dining Group by Ashley FurnitureSee all Bar Stools by Ashley FurnitureRed Faux Leather Upholstered BarstoolIvory Faux Leather Upholstered BarstoolCounter Height Backless Upholstered Swivel StoolGray Faux Leather Upholstered BarstoolBar Height X-Back Tall Upholstered Swivel BarstoolUpholstered 24" Seat Height Bar StoolAccent Chairs by Ashley FurnitureSee all Accent Chairs by Ashley FurnitureChair & Ottoman with Exposed Wood DetailContemporary Wing Back Accent Chair with Lumbar PillowChair and a Half with Rolled ArmsUpholstered Chair & A Half with Padded ArmrestsChair and A Half & Ottoman SetContemporary Chair & OttomanSee

all Accent Chairs by Ashley FurnitureLiving Room Group by Ashley FurnitureSee all Living Room Group by Ashley FurnitureReclining Living Room GroupReclining Living Room GroupStationary Living Room GroupStationary Living Room GroupStationary Living Room GroupStationary Living Room GroupSee all Living Room Group by Ashley FurnitureBedroom Group by Ashley FurnitureSee all Bedroom Group by Ashley FurnitureKing Bedroom GroupQueen Bedroom GroupQueen Bedroom GroupQueen Bedroom GroupQueen Bedroom GroupQueen Bedroom GroupSee all Bedroom Group by Ashley FurnitureTable and Chair Set by Ashley FurnitureSee all Table and Striped CurtainsChair Set by Ashley Furniture5-Piece Rectangular Dining Table Set with Gray Chairs5-Piece Rectangular Dining Table Set with Brown ChairsContemporary 7 Piece Dining Set with X-Back Chairs3-Piece Counter Height Ext Table Dining Set3-Piece Drop Leaf Table & 2 Upholstered Side Chairs7-Piece 36x60 Table & Chair SetSee all Table and Chair Set by Ashley FurnitureDressers by Ashley Furniture7 Drawer Dresser and Mirror Combo7 Drawer Dresser & Mirror Combo7 Drawer Dresser7 Drawer DresserSofas by Ashley FurnitureSee all Sofas by Ashley FurnitureContemporary Sofa Chaise with Reversible ChaiseTransitional Sweetheart Tulle Mermaid Wedding Dress

Chesterfield SofaFaux Leather/Fabric SofaSofa with Rolled Arms & Coil Cushion SeatingSofaContemporary Sofa with Rolled ArmsSee all Sofas by Ashley FurnitureChest of Drawers by Ashley Furniture5 Drawer ChestMedia Chest with Drop Drawer3 Drawer Media Chest5 Drawer ChestDesk Chairs by Ashley FurnitureSwivel Desk Chair with Adjustable HeightSectionals by Ashley FurnitureSee all Sectionals by Ashley FurnitureCasual 3-Piece Sectional with Left Chaise4-Piece Sectional with Right Chaise4-Piece Small Sectional with Right CuddlerContemporary 3-Piece Sectional with Right Chaise4-Piece Small Sectional with Left Cuddler2-Piece Sectional Department Of Justice T-Shirtswith Left CuddlerSee all Sectionals by Ashley FurnitureOttomans by Ashley FurnitureSee all Ottomans by Ashley FurnitureOversized Accent OttomanRectangular OttomanOversized Accent OttomanFaux Leather Rectangular Upholstered OttomanSquare Cocktail Ottoman With StorageSquare Cocktail Ottoman With Storage & Removable TopSee all Ottomans by Ashley FurnitureBookcases by Ashley FurnitureMedium BookcaseSmall BookcaseLarge BookcaseLarge Door BookcaseChina Cabinets & Side Pieces by Ashley Furniture5 Leg ServerServer with Storage CabinetContemporary China Buffet with Drawer and Door StorageContemporary Dining Room Server with Wine RackBuffetReclining Sofas by Ashley FurnitureContemporary Faux Leather Reclining SofaContemporary

Faux Leather Reclining Power SofaGlider Reclining Power Loveseat w/ Console & Power Strip with USB PortsGlider Reclining Loveseat w/ Console & Power Strip with USB PortsRecliners by Ashley FurnitureContemporary Faux Leather Swivel Rocker ReclinerContemporary Faux Leather Swivel Power Rocker ReclinerPressback Chottoman with Rolled Arms & Nailhead TrimWall Units - Ent. Ctrs. by Ashley Furniture60 Inch TV Stand & 2 Large BookcasesEntertainment Wall Unit with TV Stand, Piers, Bridge, and Shelf60 Inch TV Stand & 2 Large Door BookcasesLove Seats by Ashley FurnitureSee all Love Seats by Ashley FurnitureFaux Leather/Fabric LoveseatLoveseat with Rolled Arms & Coil Cushion SeatingLoveseat with Rolled ArmsLoveseat with English ArmsLoveseat with Padded ArmrestsTransitional Chesterfield LoveseatSee all Love Seats by Ashley FurnitureHutches by Ashley Furniture2 Door Mission Hutch with 3 ShelvesNight Stands by Ashley Furniture2 Drawer Night Stand2 Drawer NightstandSofa Sleepers by Ashley FurnitureQueen Sofa Sleeper with Rolled ArmsFull Sleeper SofaContemporary Queen Sofa Sleeper with Rolled ArmsQueen Sofa Sleeper with Memory Foam MattressFaux Leather Stationary Upholstered Queen SleeperDesk and Hutch Configurations by Ashley FurnitureOffice Mission Credenza Desk & 2 Door Hutch SetMission Large Leg Desk and Low HutchL Shape Configurations by Ashley Furniture4 Piece L-Shape Office Desk Unit with Hutch5 Piece L-Shape Desk Unit with Hutch and 2 Drawer File Cabinet5 Piece L-Shape Office Desk Unit with Hutch & File CabinetL-Shape Desk

with Credenza and Large Low Hutch4 Piece L-Shape Office Desk Unit with HutchL-Shape Desk with Low HutchDesks by Ashley FurnitureSmall Leg Desk with Keyboard DrawerOak Large Leg DeskMission Office Leg Desk with StorageMirrors by Ashley FurnitureDresser MirrorCredenzas by Ashley FurnitureOffice Desk with Power Strip and File DrawerFiles by Ashley FurnitureMission 2-Drawer Lateral FileMission 2 Drawer Mobile File CabinetBenches by Ashley FurnitureHickory Stained Bench “I bought a leather sectional sofa, dining room set and bedroom and had an awesome experience!” “Over the weekend I thought about it and felt that I could have saved an extra $300 or bought the second nightstand for my bedroom set.” “All furniture was intact with no damage...delivery guys reached on time and were really courteous...we are really happy with the over all service.”Buying furniture has always been a perilous, complex affair. You don’t buy a couch the way you buy a television or a laptop computer.

You can’t carry the couch out of the store with you (most of the time). Heck, usually you don’t really have a great idea when the couch will get to your living room. Like all businesses, the furniture industry is undergoing dramatic changes, thanks to the dual challenges of the digital age and the recession. That means both good and bad things for furniture shoppers. The good: There are more choices than ever, including buy-couches-from-home apps. It helps with comparison shopping, too. The bad: Many furniture stores are struggling, which means you are even more likely to encounter aggressive sales tactics and sneaky techniques for adding profits, like funky financing offers. I can’t tell you what color loveseat will best match the carpet in your living room, but I can tell you four gotchas you should watch out for the next time you furniture shop. Before we get to the Gotchas, however, here’s a bit on the state of the furniture industry. I’m a big believer in knowing your opponent.

Not surprisingly, the bursting of the housing bubble was a killer for the industry, as fewer home purchases mean fewer couch purchases. Furniture sales plummeted 13% between 2008 and 2009, according to this report from analyst firm ABTV. It has slowly recovered since, and 2013 was the first year to exceed 2008 sales. However, the meandering recovery of the U.S. economy means the environment for furniture stores continues to be challenging. Demographic changes also add to the struggle. Delayed household formations – i.e. more 30-year-olds living with their parents – has also hurt furniture sales. The continued fascination with “disposable” furniture – think Ikea and Target – hasn’t helped much, either. “The American furniture industry is at a turning point. Never known for its ability to respond quickly to change, the industry finds itself emerging from the Great Recession to face some significant challenges,” says the ABTV report. “Slower-than-expected economic recovery, shifting consumer buying preferences, skilled worker shortages, rising labor costs, technology integration, new distribution channels and global competition…

It’s a sticky wicket: Baby Boomers are downsizing to smaller spaces, new home sales are increasing gradually, but mortgage reforms have made it difficult for younger homeowners to qualify, given the debt loads many are carrying from student loans.” These shifts create interesting issues in the furniture industry. Downsizing Baby Boomers often want new things when they leave the five-bedroom house for the two-bedroom condo. But their old things are filling up second-hand stores with great deals, ABTV says. “The used-furniture market is now glutted with Boomers’ upholstered sofas, armoires, formal dining room sets, and antique collectibles that are being shed in order to downsize,” says the ABTV. “With the market full of the Boomers’ cast-aways, consignment shops and traditional non-profit donation centers such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army have become pickier about what items they will accept for resale and don’t hesitate to turn away anything they can’t use or aren’t willing to pay more for.”

Still, sales at Ashley Furniture, the largest furniture seller according to ABTV, were up 4% between 2013 and 2014, so the story isn’t all bad. Now that you know a bit more about the furniture industry, here are four things to watch for as you shop. Much like mattress stores, most furniture stores put meaningless price tags on their items. And never tell anyone “We got our couch at 50% off,” because that’s nothing to be proud of. It probably means the price tags were too high to begin with. Shop around and get an honest sense of the real out-the-door price for the item in your class, then just make sure you pay a fair price. Like financing at a car dealership, delivery is often where a good deal goes bad. The price of delivery should be among the first things you discuss at the store, not an afterthought. It’s incredibly important to be realistic about your furniture choices. If you order a couch that can’t fit in your front door or up the stairs, and there’s damage during delivery, you’ll have quite a fight on your hands.

Demanding that someone try to move a square peg into a round hole can shift the liability to you. One tip: Digital laser tape measurers work great and they’re really inexpensive now. They’re also subtle to whip out in stores. Old fashioned tape measures work, too. Also, some furniture requires assembly on-site. Be sure to understand who pays for what, and don’t forget to add in the cost of tipping the folks who actually do the heavy lifting for you. For most consumers, the nightmare begins after the credit card is swiped. Then, the reality of the delivery schedule kicks in. Many furniture delivery trucks rival the cable guy for late-or-no-shows. Expect to lose a day of work getting your furniture, and maybe two if there’s a cancellation. The best way to protect yourself is to verify the store’s cancellation policy in case of a delivery problem. Make sure you can get a full 100% refund if the store doesn’t live up to its end of the bargain on delivery. In reality, you probably don’t want to cancel a purchase right away if there’s a screw-up, but having the right to do so is important.

Nothing lights a fire under a sales person faster than the prospect of losing a commission because the delivery truck screwed up. The other way deals go bad is the classic “interest-free financing” offer. Such deals can be structured many ways, but they often involve what’s called “deferred interest.” That means the loan is free, but if you fail to pay it off entirely during the free period, you end up paying retroactive interest for the entire time period you borrowed the money. With furniture, the rates are often 20-30%. For example, shoppers can buy a $3,000 couch and get 24 months “deferred interest.” Pay the bill in full before 24 months, no problem. Pay the bill in month 25, and you might owe close to $1,000 in interest. Further complicating the deals for consumers is that minimum monthly payments required on the furniture loans DO NOT add up to pay for the entire purchase during the interest-free period. Plus, applying for store credit this way can hurt your negotiating position.