Clearance Sofas: A Buyer’s Guide
What is a clearance sofa?
Sofa manufacturers, like most companies, often end up with stock remaining at the end of the season. It is, of course, exactly same quality as all their other products but, in order to get it out of shops and warehouses to free up space for the next season, they will often sell it in a clearance sale.
Alternatively, some clearance items may be sofas that have been on display in shops, or that have been returned by customers.
These clearance sofas and armchairs are usually available at significantly reduced prices. Some may be scuffed, faded or otherwise slightly damaged, especially if they are returned or ex-display items, but such damage will always be clearly marked and, of course, reflected in the price. Other pieces, especially end-of-season items that have never been on display, will be in as-new condition.
Either way, shopping in a furniture clearance can be the perfect way to pick up an item that you might otherwise not be able to afford.
What are you looking for exactly?
Almost any item of furniture has the potential to end up in a clearance sale, including reclining chairs, sofa beds, corner sofas, and designer sofas. Because these sales include ex-display pieces, you’re not limited to a handful of less popular items; almost everything that a shop or designer has sold has the potential to show up in a clearance sale.
It’s worth going into a sale with a fairly clear idea of what you are looking for though, so that the discounts don’t tempt you to make unwise purchases. Whether it’s a single piece to match an existing set, a sofa bed for your guest room, or a whole new three-piece suite, be prepared to shop around a bit and try a few different clearance sales until you spot the perfect item.
What are the options?
Shops like Darlings of Chelsea always have a very wide variety of pieces of furniture on clearance at any one time, including footstools, recliners and sofa beds. And of course new items are constantly being made available as ex-display models need to be removed or items are returned by customers. So, if you have patience and you’re not in too much of a hurry, it’s well worth just keeping an eye on the clearance page until your perfect chair or sofa appears.
However, one limitation to be aware of with buying in clearance sales is that you won’t be able to customise your sofa or choose particular options, colours or coverings. Display sofas are generally produced in the most popular and flexible colours, which can be a good thing, but if you have your heart set on a very unusual fabric or pattern then you may have no choice but to buy new.
Is it worth the trade-off?
Buying a clearance sofa could mean trading off the ability to customise it to your exact specifications with the very significant discount you’re likely to get. In the end, whether that trade-off is worth it depends how important it is to you to be able to make your own selections of fabric and colour and, of course, what your budget is. For a lot of people, however, being able to get a top-quality designer sofa for as little as half the normal price is well worth the small compromise of not being able to fully customise it.
