Discounts from furniture shops..

[Nimbus]

Buying some new sofas and a dining room table from a furniture shop, I've found the sofas and table I want, but I'm wondering what kind of discount I should be looking to get..

Its a fairly large shop in Reading, not really a chain, and the sofas I'm looking at are middish range I guess.

They are 'asking':
Sofa - 2 seater £575
Sofa - 3 seater £649
small matching stool £229
dining room table + 6 chairs £999

total £2452

I'm a cash buyer, non of this finance rubbish, so I was reckoning to aim at either £2000 inc delivery, or to get 2 extra dinning room chairs, they are 'selling' them at an extra £200 each.

Does that sound realistic ?

[Plotloss]

Nimbus said:

Does that sound realistic ?

Why should you expect to get a discount at all?

Cash is no incentive for the shop, they've got to count it, handle it and bank it, they'll save a transaction charge but that is it.

There are multiple facets to a 'good' deal. Price is only one of them.

[jas xjr]

always ask for a discount. there is a massive mark up on furniture. i presume that plotloss always pays the asking price for cars and houses

[Nimbus]

Plotloss said:

Nimbus said:

Does that sound realistic ?

Why should you expect to get a discount at all?

Cash is no incentive for the shop, they've got to count it, handle it and bank it, they'll save a transaction charge but that is it.

There are multiple facets to a 'good' deal. Price is only one of them.

I'm expecting to get a discount based on the fact that I'm giving them the money there and then, I'm buying mulitple items, and I don't expect to pay the 'asking' price.

Obviously I dont mean 'cash' cash, I will pay on my debit card, but the money will be in their account as soon as they take it.

I want the furniture, they I assume, want my money, therefore some kind of deal must be possible..

[Plotloss]

A deal is possible, certainly, at the advertised £2452 I'd guess.

Do you haggle in supermarkets as well?

[eps]

Companies like finance, they get an incentive and then get recurring revenue stream..

[Vee]

Nimbus said:

non of this finance rubbish

May be rubbish to you but they are likely to earn commission from the finance house.

With furniture, it is often difficult to get the same stuff elsewhere so you can't really say you're going to see what kind of deal another company will offer you (like you can with cars).
Ask for a discount, when they give you a figure say it is more than you want to spend and therefore if it the bst they can do you'll have to think about it.
I would have thought £400 discount of £2495 list is reasonable.

[jas xjr]

i have haggled in b&q and pc world , on larger items and have successfully obtained discounts. it is something i do in the course of business all day every day. also if a customer of mine wants to negotiate i can and do

[Nimbus]

well, I got 11% off, and free delivery on 2 different dates, ( as some bits are 6 weeks to be made, others 12..), and a free curry, as they were doing a 'special promotion' evening tonight, that included free curry to eat as you browsed...
not quite as pikey as it sounds, no really !

So I'm happy with that, and also full

[Mojooo]

Nimbus said:

well, I got 11% off, and free delivery on 2 different dates, ( as some bits are 6 weeks to be made, others 12..), and a free curry, as they were doing a 'special promotion' evening tonight, that included free curry to eat as you browsed...
not quite as pikey as it sounds, no really !

So I'm happy with that, and also full

Textbook pikey, actually

I would haggle in places like that, not so much in chains where the staff have less control over pricing

[Smiler.]

Nimbus said:

well, I got 11% off, and free delivery on 2 different dates, ( as some bits are 6 weeks to be made, others 12..), and a free curry, as they were doing a 'special promotion' evening tonight, that included free curry to eat as you browsed...
not quite as pikey as it sounds, no really !

So I'm happy with that, and also full

Good effort

which shop?

[Tampon]

jas xjr said:

always ask for a discount. there is a massive mark up on furniture. i presume that plotloss always pays the asking price for cars and houses

There isn't always a massive mark up, DFS and the like yes, but independent retailers ( like us ) will sell a oak table for say £1000, it will cost £400-450 to buy the table alone, then you have to factor in the costs of the shop,the fact you have had to shell out £10-20k for the container load to start with to get the unit price down to that, staff, delivery van, banking charges, storage of the furniture til it is sold, returns for all reasons from valid to spurious etc.

To think that you are going to get near 20% as well is doubtful, ask for the discount by all means, provide some incentive to give it ( you will pick it up, take the display model etc ) and you will find some great deals. If you are just asking to see what you can get off think 10% max but you might have to fight for it.

The OP asked and he got 11%, sounds pretty good.