Millions of Americans are skipping the trip to the furniture store and shopping online for their home decor.
With many retailers offering free shipping on sofas, beds, desks and other essentials for the home, people are finding incredible deals on furniture that looks high-end but is surprisingly affordable.
But Clark.com has discovered that it’s especially important to compare prices when you’re buying furniture from online sellers.
Our online furniture shopping price warning
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While browsing for furniture over the past few weeks, I’ve learned that you can find the exact same items listed for sale under different names and with different prices.
Here are few examples to explain what I mean…
Office desk
Wayfair.com sells the Mercury Row Senga L-Shape Computer Desk for $332.99. Seems like an okay deal, right? Scroll down and see Hayneedle's Coaster Furniture Yvette Office Desk for $229.00.
Wayfair uses a different photo, but it links to an instruction guide with the picture from Hayneedle.
Accent chair
Wayfair owns a number of other websites like AllModern, Joss & Main and Birch Lane. All four list the identical accent chair pictured below for between $177.98 and $215.99.
I must confess that I bought this chair from AllModern last year and just recently realized that I paid too much!
- AllModern: Coral Springs Arm Chair ($215.99)
- Wayfair: Langley Street Coral Springs Arm Chair ($177.98)
- Joss & Main: Arm Chair ($187.99)
- Birch Lane: Coral Springs Arm Chair ($199.99)
Clark.com reached out to ask why Wayfair’s family of brands sell the exact same furniture under different product names and prices. We received this response from a Wayfair spokesperson via email:
"Our retail sites are designed to offer distinctly different shopping experiences that address the preferences of different market segments. Each of our brands run their merchandising and pricing independently to create a unique brand experience. Each brand sets pricing within market context and selects product names to align with brand positioning. It's very common to see differences on prices and product names across different retail stores – both brick and mortar and e-commerce."
TV stand
Finally, Wayfair lists this Lewis Mid Century Modern 70.86″ TV Stand for $231.99. I plugged that long title into Google search and found a cheaper item from Amazon instantly.
The product from Amazon is only $153.03 and called Manhattan Comfort Liberty Collection Mid Century Modern TV Stand.
Clark’s key takeaway
Although I had some success finding cheaper options by conducting a reverse image search with Google, your best bet is to check a handful of online furniture sellers to compare prices before you buy.
Since product names vary, try more general terms like “L-shaped desk” using the search tool on an individual retailer’s site!