How to Buy Furniture at a Discount (Without Waiting Forever)

Furniture is expensive enough that even a 20% discount is meaningful. The good news: furniture retailers run promotions more frequently than most shoppers realize, and the strategies for capturing them are consistent across major brands.

The Furniture Discount Calendar

Presidents’ Day (February) is the first major furniture sale of the year — most major retailers participate. Memorial Day (May) is equally strong, particularly for outdoor furniture and living room pieces. Labor Day (September) and Black Friday (November) complete the four main furniture buying windows.

Outside these peaks, Wayfair, Overstock, and Joss & Main run flash sales continuously — often on the same items that appeared in the “Way Day” event at similar discounts.

Wayfair: High Frequency, Variable Pricing

Wayfair’s prices change frequently, sometimes daily. A sofa that’s $899 today may be $799 next week — or $1,050. Using a price history tool (camelcamelcamel doesn’t cover Wayfair, but browser extensions like Honey do for some items) helps establish a realistic floor price.

Wayfair’s Open Box section offers returned and lightly used items at 20%–70% off with the same return policy as new purchases. This is legitimately one of the best deals in furniture retail — pieces are often in perfect condition.

Way Day (typically April) is Wayfair’s biggest annual sale event. Savings of 40%–80% appear, though availability is limited. Save items to your wishlist beforehand so you can act quickly when the event launches.

West Elm and Pottery Barn: Email List First

West Elm and Pottery Barn don’t discount as aggressively as Wayfair, but they run predictable 20%–40% off sitewide events 4–6 times per year. The most reliable way to catch these: join their email list. Sale events are announced exclusively to subscribers 24–48 hours before going live.

Both brands also offer a 10%–15% new customer discount on your first purchase. Stack this with a moderately priced side table or lamp as your introductory order — then time larger furniture purchases to coincide with a sitewide event.

Crate & Barrel: Clearance Section + Trade Program

Crate & Barrel maintains a robust clearance section (often 30%–60% off) on discontinued and end-of-line items. Quality is identical to full-price inventory — these pieces are simply being rotated out of the catalog.

The Crate & Barrel Trade program (for design professionals) offers 20% off everything — but the requirements to qualify are strict. The email subscriber discount (15% off first order) is accessible to everyone and worth activating for any purchase over $300.

IKEA: The Price Drop Monitor

IKEA’s pricing is static between catalog cycles, which makes timing less relevant. Instead, focus on:

1. IKEA Family card (free) — unlocks exclusive IKEA Family prices on select items, typically 5%–15% off
2. IKEA Outlet (in-store) — returned and open-box items at 30%–75% off; the selection varies by store but is always worth a walk-through
3. AS-IS section (floor model furniture) — floor models marked to clear, often at 50%+ off

For IKEA specifically, in-store visits reveal deals that aren’t visible online.

Final Tip: Never Pay Return Shipping

Before buying furniture online, confirm the return policy carefully. Wayfair, Overstock, and Amazon Furniture offer free returns on most items. West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel charge restocking fees. Factor return costs into your effective price — especially for upholstered items where color accuracy varies between product photos and reality.