Question about reverse image search for finding cheaper furniture

I was about to pay $400 for a new sofa at a local chain store here in Phoenix. On a whim I took a photo of the tag and did a reverse image search on my phone. Turns out the exact same model was being sold by three different online retailers for between $180 and $220. The store markup was nearly double because they added a 'local delivery fee' that wasn't listed upfront. Has anyone else tried checking prices this way before buying big furniture items? I'd like to know if this works for other things like mattresses or dining tables too.

2 comments

2 Comments

matthews2113d ago

Holy crap, $400 to $220? That's insane! I would be so mad if I almost paid that much for a sofa. Honestly, that markup is just ridiculous for a 'local delivery fee' they tried to hide. I've done this with lamps and coffee tables before and it almost always finds it cheaper online. You should definitely try it on mattresses too, a lot of those box mattress brands have the exact same foam inside but with different covers.

grantadams12d ago

Actually saw a report recently that said furniture stores have some of the highest markups of any retail category - like 300 to 500 percent on sofas alone. That delivery fee thing is just the tip of the iceberg, they bury those charges hoping you won't notice. I read somewhere that a lot of the big name brands source from the same factories in North Carolina and Vietnam, just with different fabric and labeling. The mattress thing you mentioned is totally true too, there was that whole expose about how some box brands use the exact same foam density as the expensive ones. It's wild how much they get away with just because people don't want to deal with returns or measuring their space.