14 min. read
We all want the best bang for our buck when it comes to furnishing a home, and there are some crucial dates you should be aware of if you’re looking to nab an unbeatable deal on that dream piece. While different types of furniture follow specific sales trends, there are some overarching general trends you can follow.
So, don’t worry—we’ll cover these trends, including the sales period that features the best time to buy furniture and more.
Generally, new furniture is released biannually—at the end of winter, in February, and during the middle of summer, around August. Most (but not all!) of the sales dates below follow this release pattern. Let’s get started.
Presidents’ Day is one of the first federal holidays of the year, following M.L.K. Jr. Day. It falls on the 3rd Monday of February, creating a three-day weekend and marking the start of the Presidents’ Day Weekend.
Retailers use this holiday weekend to host substantial sales on last year’s pieces. Not only are they hoping to entice you to spend one of your additional days off shopping, but they’re also hoping to use the sale to move inventory to make room for the release of new pieces.
Taking a peak into the corporate worlds that run these popular retailers, many companies operate based on a fiscal year, not a calendar year. Fiscal years[9] usually differ from company to company, with a popular fiscal calendar starting in spring and ending in winter.
Taking a peak into the corporate worlds that run these popular retailers, many companies operate based on a fiscal year, not a calendar year.
So, whether they want to end the fiscal year strong or start off on a strong foot, Presidents’ Day and Presidents’ Day Weekend are the best time to find a deal on last year’s pieces.
Wayfair’s Way Day sale began in 2018 and was the company’s response to Amazon’s Prime Day. In 2022, Wayfair added two sales to the year, one in April and another in October.
On top of the normally reasonable Wayfair prices, you can expect to find discounts of up to 80%[4] on furniture such as area rugs, decor, lighting, side tables, and more.
Memorial Day serves as an excellent opportunity for savvy shoppers to score great deals on furniture. Falling on the last day of May, this holiday weekend is renowned for hosting significant sales events across various retail sectors, including furniture stores. Retailers often seize the occasion to offer enticing discounts and promotions, making it an ideal time to invest in that long-awaited furniture upgrade.
Whether you're in the market for a new sofa, bedroom set, or a stylish coffee table, Memorial Day sales provide a chance to elevate your living space while enjoying considerable savings.
With the release of new pieces on the horizon, retailers start considering the best way to create space for new inventory, and Independence Day creates the perfect sales opportunity. Not only will you find deep discounts on most types of furniture, but you can also expect to find stellar discounts on outdoor furniture.
Around the second week of July is Amazon Prime Day. For Prime members only, Prime Day is a two-day-long sales event that boasts massive discounts on items from all of Amazon’s categories. These sales usually include excellent deals on smaller pieces of furniture like shelves, bookshelves, coffee and side tables, lamps, and decor.
According to Sarah Saril of Reviews[3], Prime Day deals are organized around different lengths of time, and discounts are only scored “when you place an order while the deal is live during the event.” If you want to make the most of this sale, you should be prepared to keep an eye on your Amazon notifications.
As of 2022, most states feature a back-to-school sales season where shoppers can enjoy no-tax shopping on clothing and school supplies. The sale duration and applicability differ from state to state, and the period usually takes place from around mid-July to early August.
Admittedly, this no-tax shopping doesn’t often apply to furniture, but retailers will often feature sales on dorm room and apartment-friendly furniture. Keep an eye out for sales on items like limited mattresses, bedframes, bedroom furniture, desks, chairs, bookshelves, and small dining sets.
If you need it for your home, there’s a good chance that it's on sale during late August or early September.
Like Presidents' Day, Labor Day is a holiday that creates a three-day weekend and is one of the best times of the year to shop for end-of-summer deals. In fact, Good Housekeeping summarizes 2022 deals with, “if you need it for your home, there’s a good chance that it is on sale during late August or early September[10],” and Labor Day is the culmination of this sales period.
With the release of new furniture right around the corner, retailers are motivated to make room in their inventories. During this time, you can expect to find excellent deals on seasonal summer pieces, outdoor furniture, and dining room sets as many people look ahead and start finalizing their plans for the upcoming holiday season.
One of the biggest sales of the year, Black Friday is a great time to snag some serious deals on furniture. With the end of the year quickly approaching, many retailers will use Black Friday to discount freshly released inventory and meet annual sales quotas.
Most stores are known for offering major discounts on Black Friday. Keep an eye out for advertisements from your favorite stores, as they’ll start announcing their Black Friday deals in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
When you think of the term ‘furniture,’ it’s quite broad. It refers to the movable things in your house that make it livable and applies to everything from rugs to light fixtures and everything in between. To make furniture a little easier to shop for, try divvying it up into these categories: indoor furniture and outdoor furniture.
Let’s take a look at the best time of the year to buy indoor furniture and the best time of the year to buy outdoor furniture.
Since new furniture is released biannually every spring and fall, you’re going to want to keep an eye on the sales that take place at the end of winter and summer. This makes Presidents’ Day in February a great to snag a deal on last year’s pieces. If you’re looking for a deal on a piece from the new spring collection, Labor Day Weekend in September is the best time to buy new indoor furniture.
Do you have a specific type of furniture in mind? Type your furniture piece into the search bar at the top of the page or visit the BTTB homepage, where you can browse our master list of featured products.
Shopping for the perfect patio set? Keep an eye on the deals that take place on the 4th of July and on Labor Day. New patio furniture is released in February, which means retailers are hoping to move as much inventory as possible during the summer months when the demand is high. This makes the period between the 4th of July and Labor Day the best time of the year to buy patio furniture.
New patio furniture is released in February, which means retailers are hoping to move as much inventory as possible during the summer months when the demand is high.
4th of July and Labor Day aren’t the only times of the year to secure a great deal, though.
As you start shopping for furniture, you’ll likely encounter furniture from some of the industry’s most popular brands. In fact, a quick Google search will likely show you nearby furniture stores. Most of these stores feature pre-made furniture.
Pre-made, or ready-made, furniture is designed and made for mass production using synthetic materials and standard sizing. It’s extremely easy to buy, often being featured on e-commerce websites and in showrooms, and it tends to be a cost-effective way to furnish a space.
That brings us to custom furniture. According to Houzz[5] contributor Pooja Tyagi, “custom furniture is specifically designed and fabricated per the homeowner’s specifications, so the furniture reflects the homeowner’s style.”
Custom-made furniture is made-to-order, which means no mass production ahead of time. As such, it’s a more expensive furnishing option than pre-made options, and it’s delivered after the initial order is placed.
The good news is if you’re looking for pre-made furniture on sale, you can refer to any of the dates listed above because the sales patterns are reliable (hint: Presidents’ Day and Labor Day are the best times of the year to buy furniture!).
Since custom-made furniture isn’t mass-produced, you won’t find these retailers eager to make room in their inventory for new releases. Typically, when you place an order with a custom-made store, the company will begin making your piece from scratch, and you’ll receive it anywhere from a few weeks to a few months from placing your initial order.
Without a repository of inventory to sell, identifying the best time to buy custom-made furniture can be tricky but not impossible. You can still expect to find great sales during some of the popular times listed above, especially during President’s Day and Labor Day. You just might receive your piece by the time the next holiday rolls around.
If you’re a new homeowner or looking to spruce up your space, the task of buying new furniture might feel daunting, especially when you start exploring and comparing prices. Even though you now know the best time to buy furniture, a new couch or a dining room set can be a hefty purchase (because a deal on a large price is still likely to be a large price).
Here are the top 5 things to keep in mind as you start shopping and comparing.
Before you start exploring showroom floors and e-commerce sites, you should start by measuring the space you’re purchasing new furniture for. Not only will this give you a good idea of what fits into your space, but this will also make it easy to sort through the millions of options available to you.
Most e-commerce websites give you the opportunity to filter and organize their products, meaning you can more easily search for and find pieces relevant to you. Some websites will even allow you to organize items based on size, which makes knowing your space limitations a way to comb through repositories of inventory.
If you’re shopping in person, sales representatives will often be more than happy to show you pieces that fall within your size parameters. All you have to do is ask and have the measurements on hand.
According to Consumer Reports[6], you should start your furniture-buying experience by deciding whether you want to shop for furniture online or in person at a store. While we feel you should measure the space you’re shopping for first, we do agree this is an important beginning step.
If you want to test out your furniture before you buy it, you’ll want to shop in person from a store that will have floor models available.
If you don’t need to test out your new piece or you want to order a custom-made one, shopping online will be your best bet, as most of these retailers will only be available through their e-commerce shops.
- You can try out the furniture before bringing it home – Testing it before you buy it can help minimize the chance you’ll want to return it.
- The furniture is usually preassembled – Unless you’re buying from IKEA, when you shop for and purchase furniture in person, the furniture usually comes preassembled, which means no pouring over complicated instructions in your living room.
- You usually have immediate access to your piece – Most in-person shoppers can enjoy the luxury of taking their piece home from the moment they purchase it without waiting for shipping times.
- It’s convenient – If you’re shopping online, you can shop from the comfort of your home (or just about anywhere) using your laptop or mobile device.
- You have access to more variety – Shopping online usually gives you access to a store’s entire stock, not just what’s included in the storefront.
- You can check out product reviews – Most products listed on an e-commerce site will have reviews from previous purchasers attached to each product so you can explore the shared thoughts of fellow buyers.
If you’re in the market for a piece of furniture covered in fabric, like a couch, armchair, ottoman, or dining chair, you should consider how the fabric will fit into your lifestyle. Think about the day-to-day users of the furniture. Will you be the only one sitting on your new couch, or will your children and pets be using it, too?
For example, fabrics like velvet, suede, open-weave fabrics, and silk are poor options for pet owners and questionable ones if you have children. According to HGTV[7], velvet and suede attract fur and aren’t easy to clean, whereas open-weave fabrics and silk can be easily ruined by paws and aggressive climbing or jumping.
Ensure your money is well spent by considering who is using the fabric and whether or not it’ll be easy to clean or repair if it gets dirty or damaged.
Want to learn more about different fabric options for couches? We cover that information and more with our best time to buy a couch article.
In an ideal world, when you make a purchase, you’ll be completely satisfied and won’t need to make a return. Unfortunately, that’s not always in case. According to Statista[8], 7% of digital buyers who bought furniture or household items in the U.S. returned their purchase.
While that might not seem like a high return rate (especially compared to the 26% return rate on digital fashion purchases), it’s a reality, one that makes understanding a retailer’s return policy before you complete the purchase a vital part of furnishing your space.
If you’re shopping online, you can usually find the return policy summarized somewhere within the checkout process. If not, it’s usually linked within the website’s footer.
If you’re shopping in person, ask the sales representative for policy information as you check out.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to keep your budget in mind while you’re shopping and making decisions. You might fall in love with a piece that’s beyond your set budget, and it might be easy to try and justify sending more money on the piece you fall for.
The best way to combat this is to stick to your budget while you shop and remember: You know now the best time of the year to buy furniture. So bookmark this page, sign up for our newsletter, and mark your calendars to make sure you’re getting the best furniture deals on the market.
