Furniture industry poised to do battle as red sale tickets come out in force

24th December 2009 | retail | Furniture retailers large and small are gearing up to launch their winter sales, with the depth of discounts, timing, and the impending VAT increase the key tactical battlegrounds.

Sofa giant DFS has already kicked off its sale, while rival chains ScS and Harveys are holding their nerve till Boxing Day, when they will offer discounts up to 50%.

Harveys, like department store John Lewis, will allow online shoppers to take advantage of discounts earlier than that, however. Christmas Day is viewed by many retailers as the most lucrative Internet shopping day of the entire year.

Furniture Village and Dreams are both pushing 'beat the VAT' style messages, ahead of January's return to 17.5%, along with assorted discounts.

Scottish retail giant Sterling is kicking off its sale on Boxing Day, saying it will be its biggest ever and feature discounts across living, dining and bedroom furniture of up to 50%.

Hunters of Derby is to launch its winter sale this Sunday (27th) - promising reductions of up to 50% on everything. Kent retailer Lenleys of Canterbury starts its sale on Sunday 27th.

Apart from its Chester store, which starts Boxing Day, the Stokers' group of furniture stores will launch on 27th December, with up to 30% off brands, and up to half price offers on leather upholstery.

Macclesfield independent Arighi Bianchi will start its sale on Boxing Day at 9.30am, in doing so reinforcing its heritage by telling consumers that it is its 155th winter sale. Nottingham indy Hopewells is doing likewise, promoting its 125th winter sale, starting from Sunday.

Large Sheffield retailer Ponsford is starting its sale on Boxing Day, while online furniture pioneer Furniture123 has already started its winter sale, with half price discounts and a further 10% off for entering a specific code at the point of purchase.

Four store Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffs independent Alan Ward closed all of its stores between 18th-25th, but reopens Boxing Day at 10am to launch its winter sale.

Sussex independent Vokins, which has stores in Eastbourne and Hove, will also launch its sale on Boxing Day, with lower than half price offers on some products and a pledge to pay any additional VAT accruing as a result of the return to 17.5%. It has discounts on branded goods of about 25%.

Other retailers are waiting longer to open after Christmas, such as Devon independent Peter Betteridge Furnishers, which will shut from today (24th) till the 29th, when it reopens at 9am.