John Lewis Furniture Anyone?

JennyB

Hi there

I'm hoping for some advice from any John Lewis employees, aficionados etc.

I'd like to buy about £4,000 worth of John Lewis furniture and I'd really rather not pay £4,000 for it :rotfl:

My only idea so far is to buy it on the John Lewis Partnership Card - a massive 1 % discount (!)

I have thought to try Trade Secret or John Lewis's outlet stores but I'm thinking that the chances of finding exactly what I want in these places is pretty slim and even so I don't really want damaged furniture (I've spent the last 5 years in a house furnished from the Ikea bargain corner!).

Does anyone know the likelihood of negotiating a discount on the shop floor (given that it is quite a lot of furniture)?

Does anyone know if John Lewis ever have sales on furniture? I know some shops have them on virtually all the time.

What are the chances that the furniture might be reduced in the January sales?

Any other ideas on how I might get it all for less?

Any help would be most appreciated.

sooz

I don't work for John Lewis - sorry

But, my only thought is that you order online, and split your order to take advantage of their discount codes.

This would only work if one of you is at home anyway, as taking time off for multiple deliveries would cost you more!

I did this for a bunk bed and mattresses - 3 different orders, total £60 off. Did have to make 3 new hotmail addresses for each order, but otherwise very easy.

I have noticed their normal furniture is rarely in the sales - they seem to buy in special offers for the sales

ChasingButterflies

Have you thought of using quidco?

http://www.quidco.com/johnlewis/

Discover a whole new shopping experience and visit our John Lewis department stores without leaving home. You'll find the same quality and value - plus all the convenience of having your shopping delivered direct to your door. What could be easier!
For genuine tracked transactions completed wholly online, you can earn:
5%for furniture5%for wines7%for textiles6%for Gifts and Other2%for other3%for Audio and TV (including computers)6%for electricals7%for furniture7%for toys and nursery

Only problem is you can't use quidco and coupons with John Lewis anymore... but you could pay with the JL card you mentioned... Or one of the cash - back - cards I think for the 1st 3 months they were offering 4% - I think it was on MSE homepage...

Good luck and enjoy the furniture when it arrives

wolfehouse

there are often john lewis codes about (eg £10 off spend of £50)
have asked in the discount codes/vouchers section? or try googling for it.

zappomatic

John Lewis never have sales just for the sake of it like many of the big furniture retailers. Also unless you are buying ex-display you won't be able to negotiate on price.

If you can hold out until after Christmas there are usually bargains to be had in the clearance sale. (This is a real sale, to clear stock, though there are things that are clearly marked as "Special Purchase" ie. bought in to sell during the sale)

gingababe

Does John Lewis have any outlet stores???

Thanks

Ginga

JennyB

Thanks for all your really helpful replies.

It sounds like the haggling and sale options are not going to work. I'm thinking that if the sales are genuine stock clearance then my chances of finding exactly what I want reduced are probably slim (from past experience I'm sure I'll have chosen their most popular lines!).

So it looks like the best approach is :

1. order through quidco;
2. split the order up and use discount vouchers on each order; and
3. pay with one of these nice new cashback cards.

Funnily enough, though I was looking at getting an amex platinum (? the one with the 4% cashback?), I hadn't thought to use the card to buy the furniture! Great suggestion.

If anyone has any other gems of advice then I'd be most delighted to hear them.

Though it may be a good few weeks yet before I buy the furniture I will endeavour to report back with news of home much I ended up saving.

Ginga - there's one in Edinburgh and there's one soon to open (early December) in Swindon at the McArthur Glen outlet village. I believe they're the only two. Google for further info on these.

rosekitten

I am sat on an armchair
we bought in JL Twenty years ago
you can haggle in JL saved on
big orders in the past.Just look
for someone older the younger
ones will give you a flat no.
Also cash is king you cant do
this type of thing with a credit card.

Make sure you like what you
buy and you can live with it
as everything we have ever
bought seems to last a very
long time.

We asked about recliners
in the furniture dept and were
told if we bought it in January
it would be 20% cheaper.

I have always haggled in the
store but the online purchases
seperatly sound a good way too
if your not too sure about doing
it instore,just remember they
need your business just like
any other retailer.

jog

John Lewis do have outlet stores for furniture and white goods. Not sure how many there are but there is one at The Great Western Outlet Village in Swindon.

Re getting a price reduction, I would ask, all they can say is no. We have certainly got them to add extras when buying electrical goods in the past, haven't ever bought furniture from them though.

Jog

scottishminnie

Not sure if it is bedroom furniture you are after however if it is -

My sister was all set to buy a sleigh bed in John Lewis last year. Whilst the sales advisor was off checking on something to do with delivery my nosy sister was poking about some paperwork on the desk and saw something from a company called Heirloom Beds

http://www.heirloombeds.co.uk/

well she tracked them down and eventually got her sleigh bed there - even with a delivery charge to Scotland it was about half what she had seen in JL and other stores.

catterlen

Sorry to divert off the thread a little, but was wondering if anyone actully has an heirloom bed? You say your sister got hers from there... I am looking at them and they look really good quality, and cheaper than the high street, for a handmade bed...is this too good to be true?!