Labor Day Furniture Sales
By Nancy Robinson, Nine Muses Media LLC

With kids back in school, cooler weather on the way, and the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays right around the corner, our collective desire to feather or at least fluff the nest is kicking into high gear. Home furnishings retailers are definitely dialed into this instinct, which usually starts with simple cleaning and de-cluttering and culminates with redecorating, to a greater or lesser degree.

“Mentally, Labor Day is the end of summer, and for many people, that means it’s time to change the house,” explains Rick Fiegel, president of McKinstry’s Home Furnishings in Beaver Dam, WI. “There’s a change in attitude; the nesting instinct kicks in. It begins with cleaning, and when they do this, they also start thinking ‘This furniture is ugly; it’s time to do something.’ ”

The good news is that home stores around the country are more than ready to accommodate the need for a nicer nest. New fall merchandise is already on floors, and the majority of retailers are running Labor Day promotions, which could include special sale pricing, no-interest financing, giveaways, and drawings for prizes. If you’re in the buying mood, chances are a trip to your local home furnishings store will be worth your while this weekend.

For example, many La-Z-Boy dealers are participating in a nationwide Labor Day Bonus Coupon Sale, good for $150 off recliners and $200 of sofas. Coupons can be found in local newspapers or downloaded from the La-Z-Boy Web site. McKinstry Home Furnishings is one of many participating La-Z-Boy dealers that will also be giving customers a numerical code that can be used to enter a special drawing on the La-Z-Boy Web site. The prize: a paid-in-full, three-year lease on a new Ford vehicle.

Farther South, at Baker’s Main Street Furniture, which serves the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, area, special Labor Day sale pricing is being offered on upholstery, mattresses, dining and bedroom furniture. According to owner David Baker, 125,000 households within 20 miles of the store received a four-page, direct-mail piece that features specially priced merchandise.

Meanwhile, at Bobby Berk Home with stores in New York City and Miami and two additional stores opening soon in San Francisco and Houston, a major Gus Modern sale is winding down, while a new promotion for Matteo bedding kicks in and runs through the second week of September.

While any sale is a good sale, at Michigan-based Art Van Furniture, which operates 33 stores and counting, purchasing incentives are nothing short of stunning. In addition to sale pricing up to 60 percent off regular retail prices, Art Van is giving away flatscreen televisions with purchases (screen size increases along with the dollar amount of the furniture purchase); 50 months of interest-free financing; and a Disney World dream trip worth $3,000 for 20 families who apply for a store credit card. Dubbed “Apply and Fly,” the promotion includes round-trip airfare for four to Orlando, FL, hotel accommodations for seven nights, tickets to Disney World, and a rental car.

“We will be giving away a trip a week for the next 20 weeks,” says Cathy Disante, vice president of advertising for Art Van. “And you don’t even have to qualify for a credit card in order to enter.”

The bottom line: no matter where you are or what you’re in the market for, a retailer in your area is making it easier than ever to feather your nest this holiday weekend. They’ll be spreading the good word through local newspapers, radio and TV spots, as well as direct mail pieces and email.